used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
at or in the front
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
(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 It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
autonounUS /ˈɔːtoʊ/
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
bogverbUS /bɑːɡ/
cause to slow down or get stuck
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
cozilyadverb
in a cozy manner
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
diggingnounUS /ˈdɪɡɪŋ/
the act of digging
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
DISAPPEARANCEnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
DismaladjectiveUS /ˈdɪzməl/
causing dejection
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
elementsnounUS /ˈeləmənts/
violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
frozeverbUS /froʊz/
inflected form of “freeze” — stop moving or become immobilized
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
heartenedverbUS /ˈhɑːrtənd/
past form of “hearten” — give encouragement to
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
holesnounUS /hoʊlz/
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
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 A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
set afire or burning
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
lonesomeadjectiveUS /ˈloʊnsəm/
being the only one; single and isolated from others
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
the force of workers available
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
Ned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
NewtonnounUS /ˈnuːtən/
English mathematician and physicist; remembered for developing the calculus and for his law of gravitation and his three laws of motion (1642-1727)
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
and nothing more
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
on the contrary
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
the act of searching for something
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
sinisteradjectiveUS /ˈsɪnɪstər/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
an idea that is suggested
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
summitnounUS /ˈsʌmət/
the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
moving very fast
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
in or at that place or location
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
male cat
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
tracksnounUS /træks/
plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
tunenounUS /tuːn/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading For several seconds they stood there, Tom seeking to tune his ears to what Ned had said he had heard--a noise in the deserted house.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were rather tired from their trip, with fighting the elements, and digging the heavy auto out of bog holes.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE Like game dogs, Tom Swift and Ned Newton froze in their tracks and stood in the rain near the deserted house, waiting for they knew not what.
WheelsnounUS /wiːlz/
plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading It was a lonesome, dreary place, dense woods being all around them, and ahead, though some miles distant, the sinister summit of Dismal Mountain with its suggestion of mystery.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Only the fact that the warm, comfortable and cozily lighted House on Wheels was near by heartened the young men.
