used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
(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 An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
being joined in close association
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
the lower side of anything
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
chapsnounUS /tʃæps/
plural of “chap” — a boy or man
From this reading Poor chaps!
comradenounUS /ˈkɑːmræd/
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
dugnounUS /dʌɡ/
an udder or breast or teat
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
From this reading The Road to Freedom "What's this?
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
Henri
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
here's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
and nothing more
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
immediately past
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
a particular point in time
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
not any; not one
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading Poor chaps!
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading The Road to Freedom "What's this?
a strong line
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
shovelnounUS /ˈʃʌvəl/
a hand tool for lifting loose material; consists of a curved container or scoop and a handle
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
shovelled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Road to Freedom "What's this?
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
they've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
a special situation
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The Road to Freedom "What's this?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Road to Freedom "What's this?
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
tunnelverbUS /ˈtʌnəl/
move through by or as by digging
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
What's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Road to Freedom "What's this?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
in the company of; together with
From this reading An old shovel, by the feel of it--the thing they've dug the tunnel with," Henri told his comrades as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel in the dense darkness, and felt all about them.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading How hard they must have worked, and what a disappointment it must have been to have failed just at the last moment."
an affirmative
From this reading "My fingers dropped upon it as I bent at the entrance, and, yes--here's a basket with a rope attached to it, into which, no doubt, one of them shovelled the earth at the far end of the tunnel, while his comrade dragged it to the bottom of the pit by means of the rope.
