used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
ain't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Dead, ain't he?” said Pete.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
in a state of sleep
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
next to; at the side of
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
campfirenounUS /ˈkæmpfaɪər/
a small outdoor fire for warmth or cooking (as at a camp)
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading They were looking for the pieces of Company G.
corporalnounUS /ˈkɔːrpərəl/
a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines
From this reading When he woke Pete Murphy stood near him with a corporal and a guard.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
deaconnounUS /ˈdiːkən/
a Protestant layman who assists the minister
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading “Dead, ain't he?” said Pete.
Dinkeynoun
a small locomotive
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
start firing a weapon
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
flickeringadjectiveUS /ˈflɪkərɪŋ/
shining unsteadily
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were looking for the pieces of Company G.
set up or found
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram
From this reading They were looking for the pieces of Company G.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading When he woke Pete Murphy stood near him with a corporal and a guard.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
to a considerable degree
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When he woke Pete Murphy stood near him with a corporal and a guard.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
set down according to a plan
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
immediately past
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading They were looking for the pieces of Company G.
the force of workers available
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
MurphynounUS /ˈmɜːrfi/
an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading When he woke Pete Murphy stood near him with a corporal and a guard.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
and nothing more
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
Pete
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he woke Pete Murphy stood near him with a corporal and a guard.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading They were looking for the pieces of Company G.
RappahannocknounUS /ˌræpəˈhænək/
a river that flows across eastern Virginia into the Tidewater region
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
ripplenounUS /ˈrɪpəl/
a small wave on the surface of a liquid
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Dead, ain't he?” said Pete.
cut with a saw
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading When he woke Pete Murphy stood near him with a corporal and a guard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were looking for the pieces of Company G.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were looking for the pieces of Company G.
at the time that
From this reading When he woke Pete Murphy stood near him with a corporal and a guard.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At last the deacon saw a little glow in the darkness, and, coming near, found a dying campfire with a few flames only flickering, and beside it two men asleep.
wokeverbUS /woʊk/
inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading When he woke Pete Murphy stood near him with a corporal and a guard.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading He might have heard the ripple of the Rappahannock, but, being so worn and dull in his mind, he laid Dinkey down by the fire and fell heavily to sleep himself before he knew it.
