used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
adobenounUS /əˈdoʊbi/
the clay from which adobe bricks are made
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
(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 On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
completely unclothed
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
bunksnounUS /bʌŋks/
plural of “bunk” — a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
cementnounUS /səˈment/
concrete pavement is sometimes referred to as cement
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
containingverbUS /kənˈteɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
crudeadjectiveUS /kruːd/
not carefully or expertly made
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
familiaritynounUS /fəˌmɪˈljerəti/
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
enclose in or as if in a frame
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
grovenounUS /ɡroʊv/
a small growth of trees without underbrush
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
hiding-place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
interioradjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/
situated within or suitable for inside a building
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
and nothing more
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
litteredadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtərd/
filled or scattered with a disorderly accumulation of objects or rubbish
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
MASTERSnounUS /ˈmæstərz/
United States poet (1869-1950)
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
the force of workers available
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
obviouslyadverbUS /ˈɑːbviəsli/
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
rendezvousnounUS /ˈrɑːndɪvuː/
a meeting planned at a certain time and place
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
saplingsnounUS /ˈsæplɪŋz/
plural of “sapling” — young tree
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
scantadjectiveUS /skænt/
less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
shacknounUS /ʃæk/
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
shapedadjectiveUS /ʃeɪpt/
shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/
protected from danger or bad weather
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
shelvesnounUS /ʃelvz/
Plural of shelf; the vast wooden or stone structures holding archives.
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
soiledadjectiveUS /sɔɪld/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
make square
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
stoolsnounUS /stuːlz/
plural of “stool” — a simple seat without a back or arms
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Evidently this place had sheltered these men frequently, for each moved about it with easy familiarity, and obviously it was a retreat, a rendezvous, a hiding-place against the range police.
three-leggedadjective
having or as if having three legs
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
tiernounUS /tiːr/
a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
tinwarenoun
articles of commerce made of tin plate
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
very small
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
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 Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
plural of “wall” — 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 Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading CHANGE OF MASTERS The interior of the shack was comparatively bare.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading On the floor, which was of adobe, and therefore hard and smooth as cement, were five three-legged stools and a table, all crude and evidently shaped out of saplings from the grove.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading There was but a single window, high up, tiny and square, containing neither glass nor frame, which looked out upon the south.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Built against the walls were some shelves, upon which lay a scant supply of tinware, and in the opposite wall was a tier of bunks, just now littered with soiled blankets.
