Chapter II · Chapter 2

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

weapons considered collectively

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

rub with a brush, or as if with a brush

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

caused to show discomposure

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

in an apologetic and defensive manner

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

divisible by two

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

apart from; not including

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

especially spread in a fan shape

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

set up or found

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

unfavorable to life or growth

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

(Old Testament) Moses' successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land; best remembered for his destruction of Jericho

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

immediately past

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

held up in the air

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

provided with a worthy adversary or competitor

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

not any; not one

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

restricted to something

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

past form of “repute” — look on as or consider

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

possessing material wealth

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

except for; apart from

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

look at with fixed eyes

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

plural of “tarantula” — large southern European spider once thought to be the cause of tarantism (uncontrollable bodily movement)

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

in a thankful manner; with thanks

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

in or at that place or location

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

in the direction of

From this reading The Starvation Mountains had always been reputed rich in mineral and malevolent in their attitude toward man and beast.

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading Even the Joshua trees stood afar off and lifted grotesque arms defensively against them.

a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But Casey was not easily daunted, and eerie places held for him no meaning save the purely material one.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

belonging to which person

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Away out on the high mesas that are much like the desert below, except that the nights are cool and the wind is not fanned out of a furnace, Casey fought sand and brush and rocks and found a trail now and then which he followed thankfully, and so came at last to a short range of mountains whose name matched well their inhospitable stare.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading If he could find water and the rich vein of ore some one had told him was there, then Casey would be happy in spite of snakes, tarantulas and sinister stories of the place.