used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
anew
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
any person at all
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
propose a payment
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
boughsnounUS /baʊz/
plural of “bough” — any of the larger branches of a tree
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
climbingnounUS /ˈklaɪmɪŋ/
an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
dashverbUS /dæʃ/
run or move very quickly or hastily
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
DolnounUS /dɑːl/
a unit of pain intensity
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
HathawaynounUS /ˈhæθəweɪ/
wife of William Shakespeare (1556-1623)
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
homewardadverbUS /ˈhoʊmwərd/
toward home
From this reading The young settler turned homeward rather regretfully.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
jibesnounUS /dʒaɪbz/
plural of “jibe” — an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
LinnounUS /lɪn/
United States sculptor and architect whose public works include the memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War in Washington (born in 1959)
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
logging-road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
luckilyadverbUS /ˈlʌkəli/
by good fortune
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
mossnounUS /mɔːs/
tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
needlesnounUS /ˈniːdəlz/
plural of “needle” — the leaf of a conifer
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
not any; not one
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
the middle of the day
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
pinenounUS /paɪn/
a coniferous tree
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
a full supply
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
pokesnounUS /poʊks/
plural of “poke” — tall coarse perennial American herb having small white flowers followed by blackish-red berries on long drooping racemes; young fleshy stems are edible; berries and root are poisonous
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
on the contrary
From this reading The young settler turned homeward rather regretfully.
regretfullyadverbUS /rɪˈɡretfəli/
with regret (used in polite formulas)
From this reading The young settler turned homeward rather regretfully.
robverbUS /rɑːb/
take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
rottenadjectiveUS /ˈrɑːtən/
very bad
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
samenessnounUS /ˈseɪmnəs/
the quality of being alike
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
settlernounUS /ˈsetələr/
a person who settles in a new colony or moves into new country
From this reading The young settler turned homeward rather regretfully.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
a state of social isolation
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
not in physical motion
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
travellersnounUS /ˈtrævələrz/
plural of “traveller” — a person who changes location
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The young settler turned homeward rather regretfully.
undergrowthnounUS /ˈʌndərɡroʊθ/
the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
wagonnounUS /ˈwæɡən/
any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading About noon on the following day they were obliged to bid farewell to Lin Hathaway, his wagon and horses, as the logging-road went no farther.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The travellers proceeded on foot through a dense forest, which, luckily for Dol, had little undergrowth and mostly a soft carpet of moss or dry pine needles.
windfallsnounUS /ˈwɪndfɔːlz/
plural of “windfall” — fruit that has fallen from the tree
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Still they had plenty of climbing over windfalls, with many rough pokes and jibes from forward boughs and rotten limbs, to rob the way of sameness.
woodlandnounUS /ˈwʊdlænd/
land that is covered with trees and shrubs
From this reading It might be many months again before he got a chance of talking to anybody beyond his father and mother, and the boys had brought a dash of outside life into his woodland solitude.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The young settler turned homeward rather regretfully.
