used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WAS IT A JOKE?
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
astoundedadjectiveUS /əˈstaʊndɪd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
bumpedverbUS /bʌmpt/
past form of “bump” — knock against with force or violence
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
graspedverbUS /ɡræspt/
past form of “grasp” — hold firmly
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
only a very short time before
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
hogverbUS /hɑːɡ/
take greedily; take more than one's share
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading WAS IT A JOKE?
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading WAS IT A JOKE?
a boy or man
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
staying power
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
held up in the air
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
engage in
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
NickverbUS /nɪk/
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
perilnounUS /ˈperəl/
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
porkernounUS /ˈpɔːrkər/
a pig fattened to provide meat
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
on the contrary
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
reverseverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrs/
change to the contrary
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
Ribsam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
move hurridly
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
spinningnounUS /ˈspɪnɪŋ/
creating thread
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
spiralnounUS /ˈspaɪrəl/
a plane curve traced by a point circling about the center but at increasing distances from the center
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The hog had struck him from the front, so that Nick was seated in reverse position on his back.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
sustainverbUS /səˈsteɪn/
lengthen or extend in duration or space
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
swervedverbUS /swɜːrvd/
past form of “swerve” — turn sharply; change direction abruptly
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
torchnounUS /tɔːrtʃ/
a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance
From this reading The astounded lad instantly stopped laughing, and, dropping his gun and torch, grasped at something to sustain himself against the peril, the nature of which he could hardly guess.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The object which he grasped was the spiral tail of the animal, but, before he could make his grip certain, the porker swerved so suddenly to one side that Nick rolled off and bumped against a tree.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WAS IT A JOKE?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At that instant, Nick Ribsam felt himself suddenly lifted in air and spinning forward with great speed on the back of the vigorous hog, which plunged between his rather short legs.
