used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
adobenounUS /əˈdoʊbi/
the clay from which adobe bricks are made
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
ArizonanounUS /ˌerɪˈzoʊnə/
a state in southwestern United States; site of the Grand Canyon
From this reading For the little Arizona town was dreaming dreams.
arousedadjectiveUS /ərˈaʊzd/
aroused to action
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
buildernounUS /ˈbɪldər/
a substance added to soaps or detergents to increase their cleansing action
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
cownounUS /kaʊ/
female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
destiniesnounUS /ˈdestəniz/
plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/
imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
From this reading For the little Arizona town was dreaming dreams.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading For the little Arizona town was dreaming dreams.
empirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/
the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading Rumors flew thick and fast.
financenounUS /fəˈnæns/
the commercial activity of providing funds and capital
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Rumors flew thick and fast.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the little Arizona town was dreaming dreams.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
hivenounUS /haɪv/
a teeming multitude
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
industrynounUS /ˈɪndəstri/
the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
KIDNAPPEDverbUS /ˈkɪdnæpt/
inflected form of “kidnap” — take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
languornoun
a relaxed comfortable feeling
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading For the little Arizona town was dreaming dreams.
for more time
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
engage in
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
MesanounUS /ˈmeɪsə/
flat tableland with steep edges
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
metropolisnounUS /məˈtrɑːpələs/
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
molderverbUS /ˈmoʊldər/
break down
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
not any; not one
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
PacificnounUS /pəˈsɪfɪk/
the largest ocean in the world
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
piratenounUS /ˈpaɪrət/
someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
ripplesnounUS /ˈrɪpəlz/
plural of “ripple” — a small wave on the surface of a liquid
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
RumorsnounUS /ˈruːmərz/
plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth
From this reading Rumors flew thick and fast.
cut with a saw
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
SimonnounUS /ˈsaɪmən/
one of the twelve Apostles (first century)
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
sleepyadjectiveUS /ˈsliːpi/
ready to fall asleep
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
SouthwesternadjectiveUS /ˌsaʊˈθwestərn/
situated in or oriented toward the southwest
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Rumors flew thick and fast.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading For the little Arizona town was dreaming dreams.
transformingverbUS /trænˈsfɔːrmɪŋ/
-ing form of “transform” — subject to a mathematical transformation
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
twentieth-century
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
unfeatured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
wandnounUS /wɑːnd/
a rod used by a magician or water diviner
From this reading The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of the destinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch the adobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive of industry.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading KIDNAPPED As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from its usual languor by the visit of Simon West.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself no longer a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, in touch with twentieth-century life.
