used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
cause to be bored
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
a youthful male person
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
Deerfoot's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His sudden movement had saved his life.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading His sudden movement had saved his life.
not able to be found
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading His sudden movement had saved his life.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
and nothing more
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
redskinnounUS /ˈredskɪn/
(slang) offensive term for Native Americans
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading His sudden movement had saved his life.
only a very short time before
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
in the near future
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
springingverbUS /ˈsprɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading His sudden movement had saved his life.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
tomahawkverbUS /ˈtɑːməhɔːk/
cut with a tomahawk
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As if springing from the ground itself, an Indian bore down upon him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
wheeledadjectiveUS /wiːld/
having wheels; often used in combination
From this reading Robert wheeled instantly to discover the cause of Deerfoot’s action.
at the time that
From this reading The redskin was scarcely ten feet distant when the startled boy first caught sight of him.
whizzedverbUS /wɪzd/
inflected form of “whiz” — make a soft swishing sound
From this reading He was not a second too soon, for, as he turned, a tomahawk whizzed past his head, missing him only by a few inches.
