Chapter IV · Bennie and Spider Cross the Continent

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

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

Having no one else present.

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

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

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

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

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

a form of amphetamine

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

next to; at the side of

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

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

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

possessive form of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

the two together, not just one

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading But it was a pretty busy time, too.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But it was a pretty busy time, too.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

the act of closing something

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

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

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

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

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

every person

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

plural of “examination” — the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

plural of “expedition” — a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

the act of acquiring something

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

the act of departing

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

destroyed or killed

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

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

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

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

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

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

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

the act of departing

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

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 It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

engage in

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

a structure erected to commemorate persons or events

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

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

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

no person; not anyone

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

a state in northwestern United States on the Pacific

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

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

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

a customary way of operation or behavior

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading But it was a pretty busy time, too.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

the length of a line segment between the center and circumference of a circle or sphere

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

the act of arranging in a graduated series

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

an educational institution

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

plural of “scout” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

in the near future

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

the season of growth

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

reading carefully with intent to remember

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

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

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

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

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading But it was a pretty busy time, too.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

-ing form of “tramp” — travel on foot, especially on a walking expedition

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Bennie had to keep on studying, so he could make sure of passing his examinations, and Spider had to put in an hour or two every day in his father’s store.

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

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

From this reading But it was a pretty busy time, too.

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

From this reading They took the rest of the scouts along on these expeditions, but as nobody but Bennie and Spider were going to Oregon, the others didn’t get so excited about climbing as they did, and soon everybody was playing baseball, leaving Bennie and Spider to practice rock scaling alone.

during the time that

From this reading It certainly did seem a long while to both the scouts between the time of getting Uncle Bill’s letter and the closing of school in June.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Beside that, they had to have another go at the Monument Mountain cliffs as soon as the snow was gone in the spring, and at about every other rock, big or little, within tramping radius of home.