used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
aimverbUS /eɪm/
point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
BangverbUS /bæŋ/
strike violently
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
fearless and daring
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
butcheredverbUS /ˈbʊtʃərd/
past form of “butcher” — kill (animals) usually for food consumption
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
commotionnounUS /kəˈmoʊʃən/
a disorderly outburst or tumult
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
duckverbUS /dʌk/
to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
ducksnounUS /dʌks/
plural of “duck” — small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
elephantnounUS /ˈeləfənt/
five-toed pachyderm
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
an old word for “before”
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
at any time
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
inspectionnounUS /ˌɪnˈspekʃən/
a formal or official examination
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
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 "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
the act of departing
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
loudlyadverbUS /ˈlaʊdli/
with relatively high volume
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
MajoradjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/
of greater importance or stature or rank
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
a particular point in time
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
not one and not the other of two
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
not any; not one
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
poolnounUS /puːl/
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
pursernounUS /ˈpɜːrsər/
an officer aboard a ship who keeps accounts and attends to the passengers' welfare
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
done under pressure
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
get by special effort
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
slaughteredverbUS /ˈslɔːtərd/
past form of “slaughter” — kill (animals) usually for food consumption
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
trumpetingverbUS /ˈtrʌmpətɪŋ/
-ing form of “trumpet” — proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading The next moment an enormous elephant rushed from out the grass, trumpeting loudly and striking the grass with his trunk.
unerringadjective
not liable to error
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
welkinnoun
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Bang! bang! went our guns, and at least one duck fell a victim to our unerring aim.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
hope for; have a wish
From this reading "Neither the purser nor I had ever seen a wild elephant before, and we had no wish for a nearer inspection; so, leaving our slaughtered ducks to their fate, we took to our heels and never stopped until we reached a place of safety."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "But ere we could secure the butchered birds the welkin rang with an awful roar, and the whole pool was in a state of commotion.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well, you certainly did not show a bold front on that occasion," laughed the Major.
