used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
from appearances alone
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
ascertainedadjectiveUS /ˌæsərˈteɪnd/
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
availverbUS /əˈveɪl/
use to one's advantage
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
DEATH-TRAP
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
coins made of gold
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
not accessible to view
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
the force of workers available
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
select carefully from a group
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
ponderousadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːndərəs/
slow and laborious because of weight
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
ratsnounUS /ræts/
plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
remaindernounUS /rɪˈmeɪndər/
something left after other parts have been taken away
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
REVEALSverbUS /rɪˈviːlz/
third-person singular of “reveal” — make visible
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
terriersnounUS /ˈteriərz/
plural of “terrier” — any of several usually small short-bodied breeds originally trained to hunt animals living underground
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
in or at that place or location
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
thicknessnounUS /ˈθɪknəs/
the dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
in the direction of
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
upwardsadverbUS /ˈʌpwərdz/
spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
vigilnounUS /ˈvɪdʒəl/
a period of sleeplessness
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
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 They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
Wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was it possible that they had ascertained from their plan the place where the gold was hidden?
watchfuladjectiveUS /ˈwɑːtʃfəl/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Through the remainder of the night we kept a watchful vigil, but about four o’clock in the morning the sounds ceased, and we concluded that they had completed their work—at least for the present.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
in or at the place that
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
the words that are spoken
From this reading REVEALS THE DEATH-TRAP WE strained our ears to distinguish the words spoken by the men beneath us, but without avail.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading They seemed to be at work apparently in the thickness of the ponderous wall some few feet below where we stood.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading Sometimes it seemed as though they were working upwards towards us, for we could hear a pick upon the stones; and so we waited there, as terriers wait for rats.
