Chapter IX · Chapter 9

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

From this reading I FIND A COMPANION.

later than; following

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

(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 The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

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

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

in addition to; as well as

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

any of several plants of the genus Camassia; North and South America

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

plural of “chipmunk” — a burrowing ground squirrel of western America and Asia; has cheek pouches and a light and dark stripe running down the body

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading I FIND A COMPANION.

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

turn up, loosen, or remove earth

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

take in solid food

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

divisible by two

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading I FIND A COMPANION.

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

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

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

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

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

a physiological need for food; the consequence of food deprivation

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I FIND A COMPANION.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading The next spring was late.

plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

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 We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

changed from a solid to a liquid state

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

plural of “mouse” — any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

to certain extent or degree

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The next spring was late.

not any; not one

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

and nothing more

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

above and across; more than

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

not used up

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

filled with satisfaction

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

the season of growth

From this reading The next spring was late.

past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

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

From this reading The next spring was late.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

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

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

to a remarkable degree or extent

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

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

From this reading The next spring was late.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

at the time that

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

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

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

during the time that

From this reading The snow had been unusually deep, and had only half melted when the cold returned, so that the remaining half stayed on the ground a long while, and sometimes it took me all my time, grubbing up camas roots, turning over stones and logs, and ripping the bark off fallen trees, to find enough to eat to keep me even moderately satisfied.

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading We had a return of cold weather long after winter ought to have been over, and for a month or more after I moved out it was no easy matter to find food enough.

plural of “woodchuck” — reddish brown North American marmot

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Besides the mice and chipmunks which I caught, I was forced by hunger to dig woodchucks out of their holes, and eat the young ones, though hitherto I had never eaten any animal so large.