used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
(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 Garry fired two more shots at the screeching mass and then all was quiet and the struggling ceased.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
plural of “call” — a telephone connection
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading Garry fired two more shots at the screeching mass and then all was quiet and the struggling ceased.
clawedadjectiveUS /klɔːd/
having or resembling a claw or claws; often used as a combining form
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
moving swiftly
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
Garry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
magazinenounUS /ˈmæɡəziːn/
a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
mechanismnounUS /ˈmekənɪzəm/
the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Garry fired two more shots at the screeching mass and then all was quiet and the struggling ceased.
NATE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
pumpingverbUS /ˈpʌmpɪŋ/
-ing form of “pump” — operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Garry fired two more shots at the screeching mass and then all was quiet and the struggling ceased.
the event of something being raised upward
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
retreatednounUS /riˈtriːtəd/
people who have retreated
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
done under pressure
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
screamverbUS /skriːm/
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
screechingnounUS /ˈskriːtʃɪŋ/
a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry
From this reading Garry fired two more shots at the screeching mass and then all was quiet and the struggling ceased.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
shotsnounUS /ʃɑːts/
plural of “shot” — the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
Simmons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
having a supporting base
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading Garry fired two more shots at the screeching mass and then all was quiet and the struggling ceased.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
thudverbUS /θʌd/
make a dull sound
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Garry fired two more shots at the screeching mass and then all was quiet and the struggling ceased.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
wakened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
WEBSTERnounUS /ˈwebstər/
English playwright (1580-1625)
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading NATE WEBSTER CALLS ON THE BOYS Garry waited not to discover what the flying shape might be.
in or at the place that
From this reading The sound of the shots had, of course, wakened Simmons, and he rushed forward to where Garry was standing.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Raising his rifle to his shoulder he fired straight at the black mass, pumping the shots from his magazine as fast as he could work the mechanism.
writhedadjectiveUS /rɪθd/
twisted (especially as in pain or struggle)
From this reading He retreated hastily as he fired, and at the second shot heard a scream of pain, then there was a thud as some body struck the ground and writhed and clawed.
