Chapter I

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

with no effort to conceal

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

of or relating to billiards

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

plural of “bow” — a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

a game played with playing cards

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

extreme leanness (usually caused by starvation or disease)

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

at any time

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

firmly closed or secured

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading At the present time he wore the ribbon around his neck for safety.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

a flammable hydrocarbon oil used as fuel in lamps and heaters

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

marked by complexity and richness of detail

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

a university town in western Montana

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

a change of position that does not entail a change of location

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading At the present time he wore the ribbon around his neck for safety.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

and nothing more

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

a worker who makes glasses for remedying defects of vision

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

located, suited for, or taking place in the open air

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

-ing form of “peer” — look searchingly

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

a human being

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

a coniferous tree

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

(of games) engaged in

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading At the present time he wore the ribbon around his neck for safety.

past form of “purchase” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

any long object resembling a thin line

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions

From this reading At the present time he wore the ribbon around his neck for safety.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

A specialist in a particular branch of study; a distinguished student.

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

the state of being asleep

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

being of delicate or slender build

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

marked by or emitting or filled with smoke

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

an entreaty addressed to someone of superior status

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

a brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur; it is used in alloys and as a semiconductor; occurs mainly as tellurides in ores of copper and nickel and silver and gold

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Magpie had been to Missoula a short time before and at the earnest solicitation of an optician had purchased a pair of glasses, sans bows, which he fastened to his person through the medium of a wide silk ribbon.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Magpie Simpkins, six feet two, slender to the point of emaciation, with the face of a scholar above his walrus-like mustache, sat there peering at his cards through the only pair of glasses on Sleeping Creek.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Tellurium Woods, the second of the trio, was as fat as any outdoor man could ever expect to be, and his bald head and luxuriant brown beard gave one the impression of looking at a billiard ball on a rug.

inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in

From this reading At the present time he wore the ribbon around his neck for safety.

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading Author of “Magpie’s Nightbear,” “A Bull Movement in Yellow Horse,” etc. It was an incongruous group that sat around the rough pine table in Magpie Simpkins’s cabin, and played pitch by the light of an old smoky kerosene lamp.