used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
affordedverbUS /əˈfɔːrdəd/
past form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
awaitedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪtɪd/
expected hopefully
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
an unofficial association of people or groups
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
according with custom or propriety
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
the act of breaking something
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
clungverbUS /klʌŋ/
inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
clutchingverbUS /ˈklʌtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
desperationnounUS /ˌdespərˈeɪʃən/
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
grabbedverbUS /ɡræbd/
inflected form of “grab” — take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
and nothing more
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
by chance
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
precariousadjectiveUS /priˈkeriəs/
affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
one of four equal parts
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
with speed
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
SimultaneouslyadverbUS /ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli/
at the same instant
From this reading Simultaneously with the breaking of the pipe Bob had flung himself at full length on the roof, with his arm extended over the edge.
slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/
causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
slippingadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpɪŋ/
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
in or at that place or location
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
tiringadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪrɪŋ/
producing exhaustion
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At just the place in the pipe that Joe had grabbed there was a band running around it, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading A glance below had told him what awaited him if he fell on that pile of rocks.
in the company of; together with
From this reading To this precarious support poor Joe clung with desperation that was rapidly becoming despair as he felt his arms tiring and his hands slipping.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
but in spite of that
From this reading It was smooth and slippery, but yet gave more support to his clutching hands than would have been afforded by the pipe itself.
