used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
bouldernounUS /ˈboʊldər/
a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
ColtsnounUS /koʊlts/
plural of “colt” — a young male horse under the age of four
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
absence of light or illumination
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
echoverbUS /ˈekoʊ/
to say again or imitate
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
elbowsnounUS /ˈelboʊz/
plural of “elbow” — hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
foothillsnounUS /ˈfʊthɪlz/
plural of “foothill” — a relatively low hill on the lower slope of a mountain
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
His-s-t
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "His-s-t!"
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
the force of workers available
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
of an obscure nature
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS SIGNAL.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
and nothing more
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
peeredverbUS /pɪrd/
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
protectingadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪŋ/
shielding (or designed to shield) against harm or discomfort
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
Identical; not different.
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
seemingadjectiveUS /ˈsiːmɪŋ/
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
shatteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃætərd/
ruined or disrupted
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS SIGNAL.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
the state of being asleep
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
startlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
stridentadjectiveUS /ˈstraɪdənt/
conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
suddennessnounUS /ˈsʌdənnəs/
the quality of happening with headlong haste or without warning
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS SIGNAL.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But only the silence of the night, seeming more intense as the echo of the strident cry died away, greeted them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
whippingnounUS /ˈwɪpɪŋ/
beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
which person or people
From this reading As they heard it, three men who, rolled in their army blankets, were sleeping in the protecting shadow of a huge boulder, rose to their elbows and peered into the darkness, at the same time whipping out their "Colts" with their free hands.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With startling suddenness, the cry shattered the stillness of the night that lay upon the foothills of the "Bad Lands."
