used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
the state of being absent
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
inflected form of “bear” — have
From this reading Teddy gasped, and then he was borne out of hearing.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
clingingverbUS /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
a flow of electricity through a conductor
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
ebonynounUS /ˈebəni/
a very dark black
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading Teddy gasped, and then he was borne out of hearing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
be suspended or hanging
From this reading “Hang on, Roy!”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading Teddy gasped, and then he was borne out of hearing.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
lifelessadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪfləs/
deprived of life; no longer living
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Hang on, Roy!”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
Roy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
cut with a saw
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
ScyllanounUS /ˈsɪlə/
(Greek mythology) a sea nymph transformed into a sea monster who lived on one side of a narrow strait; drowned and devoured sailors who tried to escape Charybdis (a whirlpool) on the other side of the strait
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
possessing sweep
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
TeddynounUS /ˈtedi/
plaything consisting of a child's toy bear (usually plush and stuffed with soft materials)
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Teddy gasped, and then he was borne out of hearing.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
except if; if not
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
at the time that
From this reading A Vain Search When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The rushing current swept him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms that seemed almost lifeless.
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence would cause his father and mother worry.
