used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
arrownounUS /ˈæroʊ/
a mark to indicate a direction or relation
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
the two together, not just one
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading THE SECRET CAVERN.--THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE BOYS.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE SECRET CAVERN.--THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE BOYS.
cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
caringnounUS /ˈkerɪŋ/
a loving feeling
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
CAVERNnounUS /ˈkæv.ərn/
A large, vast underground cave, often filled with forgotten ancient treasures.
From this reading THE SECRET CAVERN.--THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE BOYS.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
ChownounUS /tʃaʊ/
the imperial dynasty of China from 1122 to 221 BC; notable for the rise of Confucianism and Taoism
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
rid of obstructions
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
demonnounUS /ˈdiːmən/
an evil supernatural being
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
descendingadjectiveUS /dɪˈsendɪŋ/
coming down or downward
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
the act of escaping physically
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
foresightnounUS /ˈfɔːrsaɪt/
providence by virtue of planning prudently for the future
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
having unexpected good fortune
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
four-footedadjective
having four feet
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/
an old form of “have”, used with “thou”
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
and nothing more
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
attach a tag or label to
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
not able to be found
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
used to form the superlative
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
narrowlyadverbUS /ˈneroʊli/
in a narrow manner; not allowing for exceptions
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
not one and not the other of two
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
NicholasnounUS /ˈnɪkələs/
a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/
impressive in appearance
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading THE SECRET CAVERN.--THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE BOYS.
protectedadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪd/
kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
prudentadjectiveUS /ˈpruːdənt/
careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
the act of punishing
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
rebelnounUS /ˈrebəl/
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
roguenounUS /roʊɡ/
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading THE SECRET CAVERN.--THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE BOYS.
cut with a saw
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading THE SECRET CAVERN.--THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE BOYS.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SECRET CAVERN.--THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE BOYS.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
unfastenedadjective
not closed or secured
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
(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 "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
at the time that
From this reading "Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
which person or people
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
Yen-Vang
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
but in spite of that
From this reading "It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
