used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A DANGEROUS DESCENT.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
aperturenounUS /ˈæpərtʃər/
a device that controls amount of light admitted
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
boatmannounUS /ˈboʊtmən/
someone who drives or rides in a boat
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
ChownounUS /tʃaʊ/
the imperial dynasty of China from 1122 to 221 BC; notable for the rise of Confucianism and Taoism
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading A DANGEROUS DESCENT.
deceiveverbUS /dɪˈsiːv/
be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
DESCENTnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading A DANGEROUS DESCENT.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
an opposing military force
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
eyeballsnounUS /ˈaɪbɔːlz/
plural of “eyeball” — the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
opinion or judgment
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
set up or found
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
junknounUS /dʒʌŋk/
the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
staying power
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
look-out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
NicholasnounUS /ˈnɪkələs/
a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
and nothing more
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
pagodanounUS /pəˈɡoʊdə/
an Asian temple; usually a pyramidal tower with an upward curving roof
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
rascalsnounUS /ˈræskəlz/
plural of “rascal” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
cut with a saw
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
tombsnounUS /tuːmz/
plural of “tomb” — a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
treacherousadjectiveUS /ˈtretʃərəs/
dangerously unstable and unpredictable
From this reading "Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
at the time that
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening.
which person or people
From this reading Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply.
