used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
ambushedverbUS /ˈæmbʊʃt/
past form of “ambush” — wait in hiding to attack
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “One kick an’ I blow the top of your head off!”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
automaticallyadverbUS /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkli/
in a reflex manner
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Carrington stopped short and wheeled, to face Ben Mullarky.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
exhale hard
From this reading “One kick an’ I blow the top of your head off!”
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
bulletsnounUS /ˈbʊləts/
plural of “bullet” — a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
Carrington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Carrington stopped short and wheeled, to face Ben Mullarky.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
fistnounUS /fɪst/
a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
hatrednounUS /ˈheɪtrəd/
the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “One kick an’ I blow the top of your head off!”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
hoarseadjectiveUS /hɔːrs/
deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “One kick an’ I blow the top of your head off!”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
kickverbUS /kɪk/
drive or propel with the foot
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
immediately past
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
liftingverbUS /ˈlɪftɪŋ/
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
malignantadjectiveUS /məˈlɪɡnənt/
dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor)
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
the force of workers available
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
Mullarky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carrington stopped short and wheeled, to face Ben Mullarky.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “One kick an’ I blow the top of your head off!”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
pressingnounUS /ˈpresɪŋ/
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
freed from illness or injury
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Carrington stopped short and wheeled, to face Ben Mullarky.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
staggeredverbUS /ˈstæɡərd/
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
staggeringadjectiveUS /ˈstæɡərɪŋ/
so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Carrington stopped short and wheeled, to face Ben Mullarky.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
TaylornounUS /ˈteɪlər/
United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
Taylor'snounUS /ˈteɪlərz/
possessive form of “taylor” — United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And one of his last bullets had struck Carrington, who had recovered consciousness and staggered out of the house in time to see the end of the fight.
the upper part of anything
From this reading “One kick an’ I blow the top of your head off!”
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
triggerverbUS /ˈtrɪɡər/
put in motion or move to act
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
vibrantadjectiveUS /ˈvaɪbrənt/
vigorous and animated
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
viciouslyadverbUS /ˈvɪʃəsli/
in a vicious manner
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And the big man, in a black, malignant fury of hatred, was staggering toward Taylor, lifting a foot to kick him, when from the direction of the clearing in front of the house came a voice, hoarse and vibrant with a cold, deadly rage:
wheeledadjectiveUS /wiːld/
having wheels; often used in combination
From this reading Carrington stopped short and wheeled, to face Ben Mullarky.
at the time that
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
which person or people
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Taylor’s last shot, when he had been automatically pressing the trigger after Carrington had struck him viciously with his fist, had brought down the last of the three men who had ambushed him.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “One kick an’ I blow the top of your head off!”
