used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Right you are, mate."
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
the lower side of anything
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
bumpingverbUS /ˈbʌmpɪŋ/
-ing form of “bump” — knock against with force or violence
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
rid of obstructions
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
Colin's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
dampadjectiveUS /dæmp/
slightly wet
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
danglingnounUS /ˈdæŋɡəlɪŋ/
the act of suspending something (hanging it from above so it moves freely)
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
DraggingadjectiveUS /ˈdræɡɪŋ/
marked by a painfully slow and effortful manner
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
dumpedverbUS /dʌmpt/
past form of “dump” — throw away as refuse
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
to a considerable degree
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
jerkedverbUS /dʒɜːrkt/
past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
and nothing more
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
staying power
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
held up in the air
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading "Right you are, mate."
the force of workers available
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
with speed
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "Right you are, mate."
roughlyadverbUS /ˈrʌfli/
(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
rungsnounUS /rʌŋz/
plural of “rung” — a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Dragging Colin's feet toward the edge, the other two men jerked him roughly from the ground.
the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
From this reading Just before he reached the bottom he felt himself clutched round the waist by a pair of strong arms.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then he was lifted clear of the ladder, and dumped heavily on to a damp stone floor.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The next instant his legs were dangling in space, and with the iron rungs bumping against his back he slid rapidly down into the darkness below.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Right you are, mate."
