adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
arcnounUS /ɑːrk/
electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field
From this reading Midway in the arc of his vision was a ledge, ending in a flat-topped boulder.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
bankedverbUS /bæŋkt/
past form of “bank” — tip laterally
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
blockedadjectiveUS /blɑːkt/
closed to traffic
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
bouldernounUS /ˈboʊldər/
a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin
From this reading Midway in the arc of his vision was a ledge, ending in a flat-topped boulder.
breathnounUS /breθ/
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
carefullyadverbUS /ˈkerfəli/
taking care or paying attention
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
Casey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading He made his way cautiously toward the ledge, his eyes fixed upon the boulder.
collarnounUS /ˈkɑːlər/
a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
cracksnounUS /kræks/
plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
detailnounUS /dɪˈteɪl/
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
dirtnounUS /dɜːrt/
the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
endingnounUS /ˈendɪŋ/
the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)
From this reading Midway in the arc of his vision was a ledge, ending in a flat-topped boulder.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
examinedverbUS /ɪɡˈzæmənd/
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading He made his way cautiously toward the ledge, his eyes fixed upon the boulder.
flat-toppedadjective
having a flat or flattened upper surface
From this reading Midway in the arc of his vision was a ledge, ending in a flat-topped boulder.
fungusnounUS /ˈfʌŋɡəs/
an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
gottenverbUS /ˈɡɑːtən/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
granitenounUS /ˈɡrænət/
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
gray-greenadjective
of green tinged with grey
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
higheradjectiveUS /ˈhaɪər/
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
hugeadjectiveUS /hjuːdʒ/
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
junipernounUS /ˈdʒuːnəpər/
desert shrub of Syria and Arabia having small white flowers; constitutes the juniper of the Old Testament; sometimes placed in genus Genista
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
junipersnounUS /ˈdʒuːnɪpərz/
plural of “juniper” — desert shrub of Syria and Arabia having small white flowers; constitutes the juniper of the Old Testament; sometimes placed in genus Genista
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
ledgenounUS /ledʒ/
a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
From this reading Midway in the arc of his vision was a ledge, ending in a flat-topped boulder.
longestadverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡəst/
for the most time
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
looseadjectiveUS /luːs/
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He made his way cautiously toward the ledge, his eyes fixed upon the boulder.
MidwayadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdweɪ/
equally distant from the extremes
From this reading Midway in the arc of his vision was a ledge, ending in a flat-topped boulder.
moisturenounUS /ˈmɔɪstʃər/
wetness caused by water
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/
in motion
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
outcroppingnoun
the part of a rock formation that appears above the surface of the surrounding land
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
peaknounUS /piːk/
the most extreme possible amount or value
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
pointingverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/
-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
rocksnounUS /rɑːks/
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
sagenounUS /seɪdʒ/
a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
scalyadjective
rough to the touch; covered with scales or scurf
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
scrapedverbUS /skreɪpt/
past form of “scrape” — scratch repeatedly
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
searchlightnounUS /ˈsɜːrtʃlaɪt/
a light source with reflectors that projects a beam of light in a particular direction
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/
a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
slabnounUS /slæb/
block consisting of a thick piece of something
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
slopingadjectiveUS /ˈsloʊpɪŋ/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
straight-lidded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
stuntedadjectiveUS /ˈstʌntɪd/
inferior in size or quality
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
tangledadjectiveUS /ˈtæŋɡəld/
in a confused mass
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading He made his way cautiously toward the ledge, his eyes fixed upon the boulder.
treesnounUS /triːz/
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The ledge blocked his view, except that he could see trees and a higher peak of rocks beyond it.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He made his way cautiously toward the ledge, his eyes fixed upon the boulder.
viewnounUS /vjuː/
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
visionnounUS /ˈvɪʒən/
a vivid mental image
From this reading Midway in the arc of his vision was a ledge, ending in a flat-topped boulder.
warpedadjectiveUS /wɔːrpt/
used especially of timbers or boards; bent out of shape usually by moisture
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Midway in the arc of his vision was a ledge, ending in a flat-topped boulder.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He made his way cautiously toward the ledge, his eyes fixed upon the boulder.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
whitenounUS /waɪt/
a Caucasian
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading A huge, sloping slab of the granite outcropping it seemed, scaly with gray-green fungus in the cracks where moisture longest remained; granite ledge banked with low junipers warped and stunted and tangled with sage.
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading When he had gotten his breath and had scraped some loose dirt out of his shirt collar, Casey crouched down behind a juniper and examined his surroundings carefully, his pale, straight-lidded eyes moving slowly as the white, pointing finger of a searchlight while he took in every small detail within view.
