used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading The action of the red men had puzzled the trapper as well as Strubell and Lattin.
adobenounUS /əˈdoʊbi/
the clay from which adobe bricks are made
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
(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 AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
ApachesnounUS /əˈpætʃiz/
plural of “apache” — any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico); fought a losing battle from 1861 to 1886 with the United States and were resettled in Oklahoma
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading THE FINAL CHARGE.
croppingverbUS /ˈkrɑːpɪŋ/
inflected form of “crop” — cut short
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
detectedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtektəd/
perceived or discerned
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
dismaladjectiveUS /ˈdɪzməl/
causing dejection
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
lying toward or situated in the east
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
FINALadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading THE FINAL CHARGE.
fitfullyadverbUS /ˈfɪtfəli/
in a fitful manner
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
headedadjectiveUS /ˈhedəd/
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
HerbertnounUS /ˈhɜːrbərt/
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
hungernounUS /ˈhʌŋɡər/
a physiological need for food; the consequence of food deprivation
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
Lattin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action of the red men had puzzled the trapper as well as Strubell and Lattin.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
mastersnounUS /ˈmæstərz/
United States poet (1869-1950)
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
the force of workers available
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
moderateverbUS /ˈmɑːdərət/
preside over
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
not any; not one
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
obscuritynounUS /əbsˈkjʊrəti/
the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
outlinesnounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnz/
plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
poniesnounUS /ˈpoʊniz/
plural of “pony” — a range horse of the western United States
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading The action of the red men had puzzled the trapper as well as Strubell and Lattin.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The action of the red men had puzzled the trapper as well as Strubell and Lattin.
past form of “resume” — take up or begin anew
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
satisfyverbUS /ˈsætəsfaɪ/
meet the requirements or expectations of
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
without speaking
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
the state of being asleep
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
streakingverbUS /ˈstriːkɪŋ/
-ing form of “streak” — move quickly in a straight line
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
Strubell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action of the red men had puzzled the trapper as well as Strubell and Lattin.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FINAL CHARGE.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
thirstyadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːrsti/
needing moisture
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
trappernounUS /ˈtræpər/
someone who sets traps for animals (usually to obtain their furs)
From this reading The action of the red men had puzzled the trapper as well as Strubell and Lattin.
plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
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 They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
Watrous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
wearisomeadjectiveUS /ˈwɪrisəm/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading The action of the red men had puzzled the trapper as well as Strubell and Lattin.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
westwardadverbUS /ˈwestwərd/
toward the west
From this reading The outlines of the old adobe mission building showed faintly through the obscurity as the little party headed westward, and advanced at a moderate walk, on the alert for the Apaches, of whom they had detected signs now and then during their wearisome watching.
in or at the place that
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading AT THE earliest streaking of gray in the eastern horizon the three men and Herbert Watrous, all of whom had been sleeping fitfully by turns through the long dismal hours, silently rose to their feet and walked to where the ponies, a short distance off, had resumed their cropping of the grass.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading They were thirsty, like their masters, but no water was within reach, and they were doing their best to satisfy their hunger.
