used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The rain, bitter and cold, lashed against them like hail.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind them heaved up the mass of the castle, mighty and somber.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading The rain, bitter and cold, lashed against them like hail.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading Behind them heaved up the mass of the castle, mighty and somber.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The rain, bitter and cold, lashed against them like hail.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
gulfnounUS /ɡʌlf/
an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
hailverbUS /heɪl/
praise vociferously
From this reading The rain, bitter and cold, lashed against them like hail.
heavedverbUS /hiːvd/
past form of “heave” — utter a sound, as with obvious effort
From this reading Behind them heaved up the mass of the castle, mighty and somber.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
JAGUARnounUS /ˈdʒæɡwɑːr/
a large spotted feline of tropical America similar to the leopard; in some classifications considered a member of the genus Felis
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
lashedverbUS /læʃt/
past form of “lash” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading The rain, bitter and cold, lashed against them like hail.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The rain, bitter and cold, lashed against them like hail.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
masonrynounUS /ˈmeɪsənri/
structure built of stone or brick by a mason
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading Behind them heaved up the mass of the castle, mighty and somber.
and nothing more
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading Behind them heaved up the mass of the castle, mighty and somber.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
outeradjectiveUS /ˈaʊtər/
being on the outside or further from a center
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The rain, bitter and cold, lashed against them like hail.
screamedverbUS /skriːmd/
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
shiververbUS /ˈʃɪvər/
tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
shiveredverbUS /ˈʃɪvərd/
past form of “shiver” — tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Shut off so long from the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
somberadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːmbər/
lacking brightness or color; dull
From this reading Behind them heaved up the mass of the castle, mighty and somber.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Behind them heaved up the mass of the castle, mighty and somber.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
tossingverbUS /ˈtɔːsɪŋ/
-ing form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Behind them heaved up the mass of the castle, mighty and somber.
plural of “wall” — 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 A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE BLACK JAGUAR It was so dark that the two could see but a narrow stretch of masonry on which they stood and a tossing sea beyond.
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading A fierce wind was blowing in from the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls.
