used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
appreciateverbUS /əˈpriːʃieɪt/
recognize with gratitude; be grateful for
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
make calm or still
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
correctlyadverbUS /kərˈektli/
in an accurate manner
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
at any time
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
everydayadjectiveUS /ˈevriˈdeɪ/
found in the ordinary course of events
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
-ing form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
a small worthless amount
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
Jack'snounUS /dʒæks/
possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
MUSHROOMnounUS /ˈmʌʃruːm/
common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the inedible toadstool)
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
not any; not one
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
PercynounUS /ˈpɜːrsi/
United States writer whose novels explored human alienation (1916-1990)
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
cut with a saw
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
seriousnessnounUS /ˈsɪriəsnəs/
an earnest and sincere feeling
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
SqueakyadjectiveUS /ˈskwiːki/
having or making a high-pitched sound such as that made by a mouse or a rusty hinge
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
sunburnnounUS /ˈsʌnbɜːrn/
a browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays of the sun
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
closely constrained or constricted or constricting
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Glancing at my companions to see how they took it, I observed that I was likely to get little comfort from them.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
unnaturallyadverbUS /ənˈnætʃərəli/
in an unnatural way
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
communicated in words
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE VALLEY OF THE MUSHROOM ROCK We were far from laughing now.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
at the time that
From this reading When I saw how much troubled Jack was I became more alarmed than ever; for Jack was far more likely than I to be able to appreciate correctly the seriousness of our position.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
winkverbUS /wɪŋk/
signal by winking
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Percy was sitting with his eyes unnaturally wide open, staring at Squeaky without a wink; while Jack’s lips were tight shut, and his face, I could see, was quite pale beneath the sunburn.
the words that are spoken
From this reading The calm, everyday tone in which Squeaky had uttered the words, “I shall shoot the boys,” together with what we knew of his character, convinced us that no mercy was to be expected of him; and we trembled.
