used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
agonisedadjective
expressing pain or agony
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
alighted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
aloftadverbUS /əˈlɔːft/
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
bombnounUS /bɑːm/
an explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
emanatingverbUS /ˈeməneɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “emanate” — proceed or issue forth, as from a source
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
extraordinarilyadverbUS /ekˌstrɔːrdəˈnerəli/
extremely
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
enclose in or as if in a frame
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
furiouslyadverbUS /ˈfjʊriəsli/
(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
destroyed or killed
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
greasyadjectiveUS /ˈɡriːsi/
containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
houndnounUS /haʊnd/
any of several breeds of dog used for hunting typically having large drooping ears
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
JupiternounUS /ˈdʒuːpətər/
the largest planet and the 5th from the sun; has many satellites and is one of the brightest objects in the night sky
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
a boy or man
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
LairnounUS /ler/
the habitation of wild animals
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
immediately past
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
lubricantnounUS /ˈluːbrəkənt/
a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
a particular point in time
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
overwroughtadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈrɔːt/
deeply agitated especially from emotion
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
plural of “pocket” — a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
in the near future
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
protractedadjectiveUS /proʊˈtræktɪd/
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
quiveringnounUS /ˈkwɪvərɪŋ/
a shaky motion
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
rememberingnounUS /rɪˈmembərɪŋ/
the cognitive processes whereby past experience is remembered
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
riflesnounUS /ˈraɪfəlz/
plural of “rifle” — a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
precisely, exactly
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
Sniper'snounUS /ˈsnaɪpərz/
possessive form of “sniper” — a marksman who shoots at people from a concealed place
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
refrain from harming
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
not in physical motion
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
stocksnounUS /stɑːks/
a frame that supports a boat while it is under construction
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
stuffyadjectiveUS /ˈstʌfi/
lacking fresh air
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
suspensenounUS /səˈspens/
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
torchnounUS /tɔːrtʃ/
a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
unexplodedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪkˈsploʊdɪd/
still capable of exploding or being fired
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
unhurtadjectiveUS /ənˈhɜːrt/
not injured or harmed
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
vaultnounUS /vɒlt/
An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.
From this reading The atmosphere of the vault--for it was nothing less--was close and stuffy, and there was a greasy smell in the still air, emanating from some lubricant used to protect the stocks of spare rifles which he was presently to discover.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was a moment of agonised suspense which seemed extraordinarily protracted, and then he alighted, unhurt, on a pile of blankets, the unexploded bomb still in his hand!
in the company of; together with
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
the words that are spoken
From this reading "Thank Heaven!" were his first words as he lay, his heart beating furiously and his overwrought frame quivering from the shock.
wouldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By Jupiter! if this bomb had gone off down here there wouldn't be much of me left," he muttered, gathering himself up and remembering that he had placed a spare torch in one of his breast pockets.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading In the Sniper's Lair "You hound!" shouted the lad, as with great presence of mind he held his right arm aloft with the last bomb tightly clutched in his fingers.
