used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
AshenounUS /æʃ/
United States tennis player who was the first Black to win United States and English singles championships (1943-1993)
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
cordnounUS /kɔːrd/
a line made of twisted fibers or threads
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
disasternounUS /dɪˈzæstər/
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
driftverbUS /drɪft/
be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
divisible by two
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
fingeringnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərɪŋ/
the placement of the fingers for playing different notes (or sequences of notes) on a musical instrument
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
knotnounUS /nɑːt/
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
immediately past
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
loopedverbUS /luːpt/
past form of “loop” — move in loops
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
maroonedadjectiveUS /mərˈuːnd/
cut off or left behind
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
McNeil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
McNeil's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
Murdock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
nervouslyadverbUS /ˈnɜːrvəsli/
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
raftnounUS /ræft/
a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
recognizingverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzɪŋ/
-ing form of “recognize” — accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
RossnounUS /rɑːs/
Scottish explorer who led Arctic expeditions that yielded geographic discoveries while searching for the Northwest Passage (1777-1856)
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
saplingnounUS /ˈsæplɪŋ/
young tree
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
spitverbUS /spɪt/
expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
splinteredverbUS /ˈsplɪntərd/
past form of “splinter” — withdraw from an organization or communion
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
make square
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
stifflyadverbUS /ˈstɪfli/
in a stiff manner
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
stringnounUS /strɪŋ/
a lightweight cord
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
survivedverbUS /sərˈvaɪvd/
past form of “survive” — continue to live and avoid dying
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
tagverbUS /tæɡ/
attach a tag or label to
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
a special situation
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
having come into contact
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
tyingnounUS /ˈtaɪɪŋ/
the act of tying or binding things together
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
ultimateadjectiveUS /ˈʌltəmət/
furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The raft must have broken up, and neither Ashe nor McNeil could have survived the ultimate disaster.
vacantlyadverb
in a vacant manner
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was such a small thing, a tag of ragged stuff looped about a length of splintered sapling.
weaklyadverbUS /ˈwiːkli/
in a weak or feeble manner or to a minor degree
From this reading That square knot was of McNeil's tying, and as Murdock sat down weakly in the sand and mud, nervously fingering the twisted cord, staring vacantly at the river, his last small hope died.
welternounUS /ˈweltər/
a confused multitude of things
From this reading Ross climbed stiffly over the welter of drift caught on the sand spit and pulled it loose, recognizing the string even before he touched it.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Ross Murdock was alone, marooned in a time which was not his own, with little promise of escape.
