used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
matters of personal concern
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
bed-hangings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
blazedverbUS /bleɪzd/
past form of “blaze” — shine brightly and intensively
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
a youthful male person
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
broiledadjectiveUS /brɔɪld/
cooked by radiant heat (as over a grill)
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
start firing a weapon
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
hold firmly
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
and nothing more
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
oakumnoun
loose hemp or jute fiber obtained by unravelling old ropes; when impregnated with tar it was used to caulk seams and pack joints in wooden ships
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
with speed
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
Smirre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
smotherverbUS /ˈsmʌðər/
envelop completely
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
in the near future
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
propel through the air
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
Thumbietot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But it looked as if the boy had escaped one danger to throw himself into a greater one.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He jumped down and tried to smother it, but it blazed too quickly now.
tuftnounUS /tʌft/
a bunch of hair or feathers or growing grass
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
(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, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading From the tuft of oakum which he had flung at Smirre the fire had spread to the bed-hangings.
which person or people
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The cabin was soon filled with smoke, and Smirre Fox, who had remained just outside the window, began to grasp the state of affairs within.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well, Thumbietot," he called out, "which do you choose now: to be broiled alive in there, or to come out here to me?
