Chapter I

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

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

Having no one else present.

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

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

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

lacking sufficient water or rainfall

From this reading It stretched to the edge of a flat and arid world.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

a rectangular block of hewn stone used for building purposes

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

invulnerable to fear or intimidation

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

the act of overcoming or outdoing

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

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

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

plural of “builder” — a substance added to soaps or detergents to increase their cleansing action

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

plural of “cabin” — small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

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

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

take in liquids

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

the boundary of a surface

From this reading It stretched to the edge of a flat and arid world.

tiresomely long; seemingly without end

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

the organ of sight

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

planned and made or fashioned artistically

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

past form of “fell” — cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading It stretched to the edge of a flat and arid world.

plural of “forest” — the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

plural of “giant” — any creature of exceptional size

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

plural of “gorge” — a deep ravine (usually with a river running through it)

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

third-person singular of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

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

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

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

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It stretched to the edge of a flat and arid world.

past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

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 I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

chiefly evergreen shrubs of warm dry areas of western North America

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

throughout a period of time

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

coated with paint

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

plural of “pathway” — a bundle of myelinated nerve fibers following a path through the brain

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

in an impolite manner

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Far as the eye could see lay a rough and broken desert of sage.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

plural of “snow” — precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

Possessing supreme or ultimate power; autonomous and commanding.

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

not in physical motion

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading It stretched to the edge of a flat and arid world.

possessing sweep

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

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

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

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

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Who swept the mountain gorges, and painted their endless night, With their cabins rudely fashioned and their camp-fires’ ruddy light; Who builded great towns and cities, who swung the Golden Gate, And hewed from the mighty ashlar the form of a sovereign state.

plural of “trail” — a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

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 giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading I drink alone in silence to the builders of the West— “Long life to the hearts still beating, and peace to the hearts at rest.”

toward the west

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

at the time that

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

in or at the place that

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

which person or people

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

in the company of; together with

From this reading The giants with hopes audacious; the giants of iron limb; The giants who journeyed westward when the trails were new and dim; The giants who felled the forests, made pathways o’er the snows, And planted the vine and fig tree where the manzanita grows;

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading It stretched to the edge of a flat and arid world.