used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
at or in the front
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
(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 "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Helmar stood gazing at them for a few seconds.
beltsnounUS /belts/
plural of “belt” — endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
countedverbUS /ˈkaʊntɪd/
past form of “count” — determine the number or amount of
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
dodgedverbUS /dɑːdʒd/
past form of “dodge” — make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
duskyadjective
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
evil-lookingadjective
having an evil appearance
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Helmar stood gazing at them for a few seconds.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
flourishedverbUS /ˈflɜːrɪʃt/
past form of “flourish” — grow vigorously
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
footpathnounUS /ˈfʊtpæθ/
a trodden path
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Helmar stood gazing at them for a few seconds.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Helmar stood gazing at them for a few seconds.
Gipsies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
Helmar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
infuriatedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfjʊrieɪtɪd/
marked by extreme anger
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
jabberingnoun
rapid and indistinct speech
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
knivesnounUS /naɪvz/
plural of “knife” — edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
the force of workers available
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
nearingverbUS /ˈnɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “near” — move towards
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
pitchnounUS /pɪtʃ/
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
REVELATIONnounUS /ˌrevəˈleɪʃən/
the speech act of making something evident
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
cut with a saw
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Helmar stood gazing at them for a few seconds.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
sticksnounUS /stɪks/
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Helmar stood gazing at them for a few seconds.
caught or fixed
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
confined on all sides
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
tortuousadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːrtʃəwəs/
highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He had dodged his way along the tortuous footpath until, nearing an open space, he saw ahead of him his companions surrounded by a small group of dusky, evil-looking men.
weaponsnounUS /ˈwepənz/
plural of “weapon” — any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
From this reading Their voices were raised to a high pitch, and, jabbering in infuriated tones, they flourished their weapons in the faces of their two prisoners.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
at the time that
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Gipsies!" he exclaimed, and counted six of them, all armed with heavy sticks, and with knives stuck in their belts.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading A SURPRISE AND A REVELATION Helmar had not proceeded more than fifty yards when his worst fears were realized.
