used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
balkverbUS /bɔːk/
refuse to comply
From this reading Therefore the thickly falling snow did not balk the Speedwell boys much.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Therefore the thickly falling snow did not balk the Speedwell boys much.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
Dan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Therefore the thickly falling snow did not balk the Speedwell boys much.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
at any time
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
flakesnounUS /fleɪks/
plural of “flake” — a crystal of snow
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
destroyed or killed
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
iceboatnoun
a ship with a reinforced bow to break up ice and keep channels open for navigation
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
impenetrableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/
not admitting of penetration or passage into or through
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
interposed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
lightenedverbUS /ˈlaɪtənd/
past form of “lighten” — make more cheerful
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Therefore the thickly falling snow did not balk the Speedwell boys much.
as might be expected
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
and nothing more
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
overtakingnounUS /ˈoʊvərteɪkɪŋ/
going by something that is moving in order to get in front of it
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
propositionnounUS /ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
pursuersnounUS /pərˈsuːərz/
plural of “pursuer” — a person who is pursuing and trying to overtake or capture
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
with speed
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
Speedwellnoun
any plant of the genus Veronica
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading Therefore the thickly falling snow did not balk the Speedwell boys much.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
thicklyadverbUS /ˈθɪkli/
spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue
From this reading Therefore the thickly falling snow did not balk the Speedwell boys much.
thievesnounUS /θiːvz/
plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
thoughtfuladjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtfəl/
having intellectual depth
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The storm was gathering rapidly and through the curtain of snow it was impossible to see far.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ON ISLAND NUMBER ONE Dan Speedwell, naturally more thoughtful than his brother, realized immediately that they were up against a difficult proposition.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
a Caucasian
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In which ever direction the thieves had gone with the _Follow Me_, the pursuers’ only chance of overtaking them was to follow by sound—not sight.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
but in spite of that
From this reading It was true the falling flakes lightened the scene greatly; yet they interposed a white wall that was impenetrable a few yards beyond the bow of the iceboat.
