used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Even Indian-scouting degenerates into a commonplace at last.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
commonplaceadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmənpleɪs/
completely ordinary and unremarkable
From this reading Even Indian-scouting degenerates into a commonplace at last.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
CrouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
degeneratesnounUS /dɪˈdʒenərəts/
plural of “degenerate” — a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior
From this reading Even Indian-scouting degenerates into a commonplace at last.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
environmentsnounUS /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənts/
plural of “environment” — the totality of surrounding conditions
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
divisible by two
From this reading Even Indian-scouting degenerates into a commonplace at last.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
fordnounUS /fɔːrd/
United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
Fourche
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
HAUNTINGadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪŋ/
continually recurring to the mind
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
ten 10s
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
imminentadjectiveUS /ˈɪmənənt/
close in time; about to occur
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
incentivenounUS /ˌɪnˈsentɪv/
a positive motivational influence
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
Indian-scouting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even Indian-scouting degenerates into a commonplace at last.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
and nothing more
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
immediately past
From this reading Even Indian-scouting degenerates into a commonplace at last.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
logverbUS /lɔːɡ/
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
MurphynounUS /ˈmɜːrfi/
an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
northernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
perilnounUS /ˈperəl/
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
plungeverbUS /plʌndʒ/
thrust or throw into
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
prosaicadjectiveUS /proʊˈzeɪɪk/
not fanciful or imaginative
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
on the contrary
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
shroudingverbUS /ˈʃraʊdɪŋ/
-ing form of “shroud” — cover as if with a shroud
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
temperamentnounUS /ˈtemprəmənt/
your usual mood
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
temptationnounUS /temˈteɪʃən/
something that seduces or has the quality to seduce
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
thicketnounUS /ˈθɪkɪt/
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
unpleasantadjectiveUS /ənˈplezənt/
offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness
From this reading Murphy had been amid just such unpleasant environments many times before, and the experience had grown somewhat prosaic.
untoprepositionUS /ˈʌntuː/
an old word for “to”
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
unwelcomeadjectiveUS /ənˈwelkəm/
not welcome; not giving pleasure or received with pleasure
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
willowsnounUS /ˈwɪloʊz/
plural of “willow” — any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He realized fully the imminent peril haunting the next two hundred miles, but such danger was not wholly unwelcome to his peculiar temperament; rather it was an incentive to him, and, without a doubt, he would manage to pull through somehow, as he had done a hundred times before.
but in spite of that
From this reading THE HAUNTING OF A CRIME Murphy rested on his back in the midst of a thicket of willows, wide awake, yet not quite ready to ford the Fourche and plunge into the dense shadows shrouding the northern shore.
yieldedverbUS /ˈjiːldɪd/
past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of
From this reading Crouched behind a log, he had so far yielded unto temptation as to light his pipe.
