used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
blinkingadjectiveUS /ˈblɪŋkɪŋ/
closing the eyes intermittently and rapidly
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
celeritynounUS /səˈlerəti/
a rate that is rapid
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
cropnounUS /krɑːp/
the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
start firing a weapon
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
galenounUS /ɡeɪl/
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
grass-fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading As it happened, the grass thereabouts was higher than usual.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading As it happened, the grass thereabouts was higher than usual.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
inordinatelyadverbUS /ˌɪˈnɔːrdənətli/
extremely
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
intentnounUS /ˌɪnˈtent/
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
Leland's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
lickingnounUS /ˈlɪkɪŋ/
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
lulledverbUS /lʌld/
past form of “lull” — calm by deception
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
luminously
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
lurchedverbUS /lɜːrtʃt/
past form of “lurch” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
the force of workers available
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
menacedverbUS /ˈmenəst/
past form of “menace” — pose a threat to; present a danger to
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
parchedadjectiveUS /pɑːrtʃt/
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
prairienounUS /ˈpreri/
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
precedesverbUS /prɪˈsiːdz/
third-person singular of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
not in physical motion
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
successive (without a break)
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading As it happened, the grass thereabouts was higher than usual.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
in or at that place or location
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
thereaboutsadverbUS /ˌðerəˈbaʊts/
near that time or date
From this reading As it happened, the grass thereabouts was higher than usual.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
except if; if not
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading As it happened, the grass thereabouts was higher than usual.
waggonnoun
any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
wavyadjectiveUS /ˈweɪvi/
(of hair) having waves
From this reading Beneath it, a wavy line of flame rolled on across the prairie, licking up the parched grass as it came.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
at the time that
From this reading FIGHTING FIRE There was silence for a minute, the tense silence that precedes a struggle, when the waggon lurched away, and the men stood still, intent and at a strain, blinking at the fire.
which person or people
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind had lulled, and the smoke went almost straight up, shining luminously in the red glare.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Unless there is a gale behind it, a grass-fire does not move with much celerity, and that night the one that menaced Leland's crop seemed inordinately slow to those who watched it.
