used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
absenting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
ARTauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
avoidedverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪd/
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
formed or made thin by hammering
From this reading Dave’s fundamental fault lay in his hatred of being beaten.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Dave’s fundamental fault lay in his hatred of being beaten.
blastverbUS /blæst/
make a strident sound
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
the two together, not just one
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
Comin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
compositionnounUS /ˌkɑːmpəˈzɪʃən/
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
consequencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/
plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
Dave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
Dave's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dave’s fundamental fault lay in his hatred of being beaten.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
drinksnounUS /drɪŋks/
plural of “drink” — a single serving of a beverage
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
to come or go into
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading Dave’s fundamental fault lay in his hatred of being beaten.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
fundamentaladjectiveUS /ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/
serving as an essential component
From this reading Dave’s fundamental fault lay in his hatred of being beaten.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
hatrednounUS /ˈheɪtrəd/
the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
From this reading Dave’s fundamental fault lay in his hatred of being beaten.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
I-Call
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
Ike'snounUS /aɪks/
possessive form of “ike” — United States general who supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany; 34th President of the United States (1890-1961)
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
joggedverbUS /dʒɑːɡd/
inflected form of “jog” — continue talking or writing in a desultory manner
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Dave’s fundamental fault lay in his hatred of being beaten.
liquornounUS /ˈlɪkər/
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
ponynounUS /ˈpoʊniː/
a range horse of the western United States
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
PUNCTUATIONnounUS /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/
something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
sampledverbUS /ˈsæmpəld/
past form of “sample” — take a sample of
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
SlicknounUS /slɪk/
a slippery smoothness
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
StakedverbUS /steɪkt/
past form of “stake” — put at risk
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
Sweet-Echo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
Tex
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
TwinnounUS /twɪn/
either of two offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
unavoidableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈvɔɪdəbəl/
impossible to avoid or evade
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He sampled the liquor in both places but evidently Comin’ Thirty was not in that part of the town and he jogged on up to the Sweet-Echo.
past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
at the time that
From this reading PUNCTUATION AS A FINE ART Twin River was in full blast when Dave rode in, looking for Tex.
Why-Not
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He dropped off the pony and went into the Why-Not, but his man was not there; after a few unavoidable drinks—Dave could not have avoided one if it had invited from the middle of the Staked Plain—he looked in at Ike’s and the I-Call.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had not been in here since warned off by Slick, but fear of consequences had nothing to do with absenting himself; fear did not enter into his composition.
