used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
(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 protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
plural of “article” — nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
capaciousadjectiveUS /kəˈpeɪʃəs/
large in capacity
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
collectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
convenientlyadverbUS /kənˈviːnjəntli/
in a convenient manner
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
cowboysnounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/
plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
creakverbUS /kriːk/
make a high-pitched, screeching noise
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
dinersnounUS /ˈdaɪnərz/
plural of “diner” — a person eating a meal (especially in a restaurant)
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
dissimilaradjectiveUS /dɪˈsɪmələr/
not similar
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
put on clothes
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
expectationnounUS /ˌekspekˈteɪʃən/
belief about (or mental picture of) the future
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
extractedverbUS /ekˈstræktɪd/
past form of “extract” — remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
foremannounUS /ˈfɔːrmən/
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
GrahamnounUS /ˈɡreɪəm/
United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918)
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
housekeepernounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpər/
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
ill-glued
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
indifferentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdɪfrəntli/
with indifference; in an indifferent manner
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
jack-knife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
jointsnounUS /dʒɔɪnts/
plural of “joint” — (anatomy) the point of connection between two bones or elements of a skeleton (especially if it allows motion)
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
in like or similar manner
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
the force of workers available
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
methodicallyadverbUS /məˈθɑːdɪkəli/
in a methodical manner
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
miscellaneousadjectiveUS /ˌmɪsəˈleɪniəs/
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
a particular point in time
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
a form of address for a man
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
ponderousadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːndərəs/
slow and laborious because of weight
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
protestingverbUS /prəˈtestɪŋ/
-ing form of “protest” — utter words of protest
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
RnounUS /ɑːr/
a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
RANCHnounUS /ræntʃ/
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
RankinnounUS /ˈræŋkɪn/
leader in the women's suffrage movement in Montana; the first woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives (1880-1973)
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
shapelessadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪpləs/
having no definite form or distinct shape
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
shiftedverbUS /ˈʃɪftɪd/
past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
slitsnounUS /slɪts/
plural of “slit” — a long narrow opening
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
socketsnounUS /ˈsɑːkəts/
plural of “socket” — a bony hollow into which a structure fits
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
stolid-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
dependable
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
sun-browned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
tiltedadjectiveUS /ˈtɪltɪd/
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
unshavenadjectiveUS /ənˈʃeɪvən/
not shaved
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
being of use or service
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The protesting creak of the ill-glued joints under the strain of his ponderous figure was a signal for all the diners, and five other men likewise drew away from around the board.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
well-discussed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BOX R RANCH Mr. Rankin moved back from a well-discussed table, and, the room being conveniently small, tilted his chair back against the wall.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
whittledverbUS /ˈwɪtəld/
past form of “whittle” — cut small bits or pare shavings from
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Rankin watched her a moment indifferently; then without turning his head, his eyes shifted in their narrow slits of sockets until they rested upon one of the cowboys.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading Rankin extracted a match and a stout jack-knife from the miscellaneous collection of useful articles in his capacious pocket, carefully whittled the bit of wood to a point, and picked his teeth deliberately.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The five "hands," sun-browned, unshaven, dissimilar in face as in dress, waited in expectation; but the housekeeper, a shapeless, stolid-looking woman, wife of the foreman, Graham, went methodically about the work of clearing the table.
