used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
(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 THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
assaultnounUS /əˈsɔːlt/
close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
brutaladjectiveUS /ˈbruːtəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
chumnounUS /tʃʌm/
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
defensenounUS /dɪˈfens/
(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
engineer'snounUS /ˌendʒəˈniːrz/
possessive form of “engineer” — a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading "Now, then, you young pest!" snarled Gaston, springing to his feet.
a boy or man
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
finger's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
FLAGnounUS /flæɡ/
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
Frenchman's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
Gaston
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
Hal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
Hal'snounUS /hælz/
possessive form of “hals” — Dutch portrait and genre painter who endowed his portraits with vitality and humor (1580?-1666)
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
handcuffsnounUS /ˈhændkʌfs/
plural of “handcuff” — shackle that consists of a metal loop that can be locked around the wrist; usually used in pairs
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
HastingsnounUS /ˈheɪstɪŋz/
United States architect who formed and important architectural firm with John Merven Carrere (1860-1929)
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
a small worthless amount
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
lendverbUS /lend/
bestow a quality on
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now, then, you young pest!" snarled Gaston, springing to his feet.
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
pestnounUS /pest/
a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
From this reading "Now, then, you young pest!" snarled Gaston, springing to his feet.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
with speed
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
snappingverbUS /ˈsnæpɪŋ/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
snarledadjectiveUS /ˈsnɑːrəld/
tangled in knots or snarls
From this reading "Now, then, you young pest!" snarled Gaston, springing to his feet.
springingverbUS /ˈsprɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading "Now, then, you young pest!" snarled Gaston, springing to his feet.
subjectedverbUS /səbˈdʒektɪd/
past form of “subject” — cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading He was rapidly losing consciousness, however, and poor Jack lay unable to lend as much as a finger's weight to the defense of his chum.
a Caucasian
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
which person or people
From this reading THE FELLOW WHO SHOWED THE WHITE FLAG Hal lay face down, and subjected to all the brutal fury of the Frenchman's assault.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
wristsnounUS /rɪsts/
plural of “wrist” — a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading Then, with an oath in a foreign tongue, Gaston forced Hal's hands back, snapping handcuffs on the engineer's wrists.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Now, then, you young pest!" snarled Gaston, springing to his feet.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading For a few seconds young Hastings did all in his power to fight back.
