used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Twenty feet away a great gray shape loomed in the sage.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
(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 He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Twenty feet away a great gray shape loomed in the sage.
backingnounUS /ˈbækɪŋ/
the act of providing approval and support
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
Breed'snounUS /briːdz/
possessive form of “breed” — a special variety of domesticated animals within a species
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
centeredadjectiveUS /ˈsentərd/
being or placed in the center
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
a series of things depending on each other as if linked together
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
clampedverbUS /klæmpt/
past form of “clamp” — fasten or fix with a clamp
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Twenty feet away a great gray shape loomed in the sage.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
obtain
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Twenty feet away a great gray shape loomed in the sage.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
jarredverbUS /dʒɑːrd/
inflected form of “jar” — be incompatible; be or come into conflict
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
jawsnounUS /dʒɔːz/
plural of “jaw” — the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
jerkedverbUS /dʒɜːrkt/
past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
immediately past
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
launchedverbUS /lɔːntʃt/
past form of “launch” — set up or found
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
loomedverbUS /luːmd/
past form of “loom” — come into view indistinctly, often threateningly
From this reading Twenty feet away a great gray shape loomed in the sage.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
and nothing more
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
pawverbUS /pɔː/
scrape with the paws
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
rigidlyadverbUS /ˈrɪdʒɪdli/
in a rigid manner
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
sagenounUS /seɪdʒ/
a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom
From this reading Twenty feet away a great gray shape loomed in the sage.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading Twenty feet away a great gray shape loomed in the sage.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
slackadjectiveUS /slæk/
not tense or taut
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
smashedadjectiveUS /smæʃt/
very drunk
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
spinenounUS /spaɪn/
the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
the season of growth
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
squarelyadverbUS /ˈskwerli/
directly and without evasion; not roundabout
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
having a supporting base
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
stiffenedverbUS /ˈstɪfənd/
past form of “stiffen” — become stiff or stiffer
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
toesnounUS /toʊz/
plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
trapnounUS /træp/
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading Twenty feet away a great gray shape loomed in the sage.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Breed's great paw had not squarely centered the trap and the jaws clamped on but two toes.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
in a violent manner
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Four times he sprang, and four times the breath was almost jarred from his body as he smashed down on his side.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading As he rose from the last spring he suddenly stiffened, standing rigidly in one spot while every hair rose along his spine.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He fought the trap with all his strength, backing up to gain slack in the chain, then throwing all his weight and force into his spring as he launched himself into the air, only to be jerked violently to the ground at the end of the chain.
