used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There probably are many hard-beaten trails leading away into this wilderness.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading There probably are many hard-beaten trails leading away into this wilderness.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
formed or made thin by hammering
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
bestowedverbUS /bɪˈstoʊd/
past form of “bestow” — present
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
one or the other of two
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
entrancingadjective
capturing interest as if by a spell
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
excitingadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
fascinatingadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
set up or found
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
a young female
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
glancesnounUS /ˈɡlænsɪz/
plural of “glance” — a quick look
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
hard-beaten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There probably are many hard-beaten trails leading away into this wilderness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading There probably are many hard-beaten trails leading away into this wilderness.
isn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There may be nothing to it, probably isn’t.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading There probably are many hard-beaten trails leading away into this wilderness.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading There probably are many hard-beaten trails leading away into this wilderness.
marchingnounUS /ˈmɑːrtʃɪŋ/
the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “There may be nothing to it, probably isn’t.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “There may be nothing to it, probably isn’t.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
plaineradjectiveUS /ˈpleɪnər/
comparative of “plain” — clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading “There may be nothing to it, probably isn’t.
pshaw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
sharingnounUS /ˈʃerɪŋ/
using or enjoying something jointly with others
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
smilesnounUS /smaɪlz/
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
in a strange manner
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “There may be nothing to it, probably isn’t.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
ThompsonnounUS /ˈtɑːmpsən/
United States classical archaeologist (born in Canada) noted for leading the excavation of the Athenian agora (1906-2000)
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
trailsnounUS /treɪlz/
plural of “trail” — a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading There probably are many hard-beaten trails leading away into this wilderness.
not known
From this reading Johnny Thompson and Jean found it strangely fascinating to be marching straight on over the beaten trail that led to the great unknown.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
wakenverbUS /ˈweɪkən/
cause to become awake or conscious
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
(politics) a state of disfavor
From this reading There probably are many hard-beaten trails leading away into this wilderness.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “But pshaw!” he told himself with a sudden shake as if to waken himself from a dream.
the words that are spoken
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
but in spite of that
From this reading It was exciting, entrancing, this sharing a secret which had not been so much as whispered by either of them, yet the glances and curious smiles which the girl bestowed upon him told Johnny plainer than words that she knew; moreover, that she knew he knew.
