Chapter IV

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

-ing form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading “What’s wrong with the thing?” queried Bob Somers.

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

an abrupt excited utterance

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

opinion or judgment

From this reading Get outside, Joe, and keep your eyes peeled.”

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

borne up by or suspended in a liquid

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Get outside, Joe, and keep your eyes peeled.”

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

a small worthless amount

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Get outside, Joe, and keep your eyes peeled.”

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Get outside, Joe, and keep your eyes peeled.”

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading Get outside, Joe, and keep your eyes peeled.”

(used informally) completely unclothed

From this reading Get outside, Joe, and keep your eyes peeled.”

inflected form of “query” — pose a question

From this reading “What’s wrong with the thing?” queried Bob Somers.

precisely, exactly

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

involving risk or danger

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Jack set to work.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “What’s wrong with the thing?” queried Bob Somers.

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

a special situation

From this reading “What’s wrong with the thing?” queried Bob Somers.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

possessive form of “tide” — the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

a just detectable amount

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “What’s wrong with the thing?” queried Bob Somers.

in the company of; together with

From this reading A VOICE IN THE NIGHT Captain Jack stepped inside, with an exclamation, and gave the fly-wheel a twist.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Jack set to work.

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading “What’s wrong with the thing?” queried Bob Somers.

but in spite of that

From this reading “Don’t know yet,” answered Jack, his tone betraying a trace of anxiety, “but I’ll find out in a jiffy--have to; the tide’s carrying us right out, and it’s a risky business floating around on the river at this time o’ night.

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Get outside, Joe, and keep your eyes peeled.”