used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ROBERT FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
the lower side of anything
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
the act of breaking something
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Still, when unexpectedly he found himself at the bottom of the well, his situation was by no means pleasant.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
depthnounUS /depθ/
the extent downward or backward or inward
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
erectverbUS /ɪˈrekt/
construct, build, or erect
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
plural of “find” — a productive insight
From this reading ROBERT FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE.
FitzgeraldnounUS /fɪtsˈdʒerəld/
English poet remembered primarily for his free translation of the poetry of Omar Khayyam (1809-1883)
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
FortunatelyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
by good fortune
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
set up or found
From this reading Still, when unexpectedly he found himself at the bottom of the well, his situation was by no means pleasant.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading ROBERT FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ROBERT FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE.
injurynounUS /ˈɪndʒəri/
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading Still, when unexpectedly he found himself at the bottom of the well, his situation was by no means pleasant.
mechanicallyadverbUS /məˈkænɪkli/
in a mechanical manner; by a mechanism
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
not any; not one
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
performersnounUS /pərˈfɔːrmərz/
plural of “performer” — an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading ROBERT FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading Still, when unexpectedly he found himself at the bottom of the well, his situation was by no means pleasant.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
rapidadjectiveUS /ˈræpəd/
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading ROBERT FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading Still, when unexpectedly he found himself at the bottom of the well, his situation was by no means pleasant.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
not in physical motion
From this reading Still, when unexpectedly he found himself at the bottom of the well, his situation was by no means pleasant.
sustainedadjectiveUS /səˈsteɪnd/
maintained at length without interruption or weakening
From this reading Fortunately for him the depth of the well was not great, about fifteen feet, and he sustained no injury to his limbs, the water, moreover, breaking the force of the descent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
closely constrained or constricted or constricting
From this reading ROBERT FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
trapezenounUS /trəˈpiːz/
a swing used by circus acrobats
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
unexpectedlyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/
in a way that was not expected
From this reading Still, when unexpectedly he found himself at the bottom of the well, his situation was by no means pleasant.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The action of Fitzgerald was so rapid and unexpected that Robert was unable to protect himself in any way.
(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 He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
at the time that
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He fell, but mechanically, as he had seen trapeze performers do in the circus when falling, he held himself erect, with his hands at his sides, and dropped in that position into three feet of water at the bottom of the well.
