adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
amazementnounUS /əˈmeɪzmənt/
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
ANdeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading BURIED IN AN UNDERGROUND RIVER.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
borneverbUS /bɔːrn/
inflected form of “bear” — have
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
BURIEDadjectiveUS /ˈberid/
placed in a grave
From this reading BURIED IN AN UNDERGROUND RIVER.
bushesnounUS /ˈbʊʃəz/
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
currentnounUS /ˈkɜːrənt/
a flow of electricity through a conductor
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
deepadjectiveUS /diːp/
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
fellverbUS /fel/
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
flyingadjectiveUS /ˈflaɪɪŋ/
moving swiftly
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
gaspingverbUS /ˈɡæspɪŋ/
-ing form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/
the act of departing
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
graspedverbUS /ɡræspt/
past form of “grasp” — hold firmly
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
handsnounUS /hændz/
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
heavilyadverbUS /ˈhevəli/
to a considerable degree
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
horse'snounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/
possessive form of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
INprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading BURIED IN AN UNDERGROUND RIVER.
instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
MarkverbUS /mɑːrk/
attach a tag or label to
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
massnounUS /mæs/
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
nerved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
plungedverbUS /plʌndʒd/
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
rapidlyadverbUS /ˈræpədli/
with speed
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
RIVERnounUS /ˈrɪvər/
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading BURIED IN AN UNDERGROUND RIVER.
shocknounUS /ʃɑːk/
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
shrubberynounUS /ˈʃrʌbəri/
an area where a number of shrubs are planted
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/
characterized by good substantial quality
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
strikeverbUS /straɪk/
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
strikingadjectiveUS /ˈstraɪkɪŋ/
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
supportedadjectiveUS /səˈpɔːrtɪd/
sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support)
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
surfacenounUS /ˈsɜːrfəs/
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
swiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/
moving very fast
From this reading He came to the surface, stunned and gasping, only to find himself borne rapidly along by a swift current.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
tornadjectiveUS /tɔːrn/
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
UNDERGROUNDadjectiveUS /ˈʌndərɡraʊnd/
under the level of the ground
From this reading BURIED IN AN UNDERGROUND RIVER.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/
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 grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading To his amazement, instead of striking on solid earth he fell into a mass of shrubbery that supported him for a moment, and then gave way.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Mark felt himself flying from his horse's back through the air, he of course expected to strike heavily on the ground, and nerved himself for the shock.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading He grasped wildly at the bushes; but they were torn from his hands, and he felt himself going down, down, down, and in another instant was plunged deep into water that closed over his head.
