used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
afieldadverbUS /əˈfiːld/
far away from home or one's usual surroundings
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
bullsnounUS /bʊlz/
plural of “bull” — uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
the act of burning something
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
carsnounUS /kɑːrz/
plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
condemnedverbUS /kənˈdemd/
past form of “condemn” — express strong disapproval of
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
costlyadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːstli/
entailing great loss or sacrifice
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
diagnosisnounUS /ˌdaɪəɡˈnoʊsəs/
identifying the nature or cause of some phenomenon
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
disastrousadjectiveUS /dɪˈzæstrəs/
(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
diseasenounUS /dɪˈziːz/
an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
expensenounUS /ɪkˈspens/
amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
harassedadjectiveUS /hərˈæst/
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
herdnounUS /hɜːrd/
a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
incompetentnounUS /ˌɪnˈkɑːmpətənt/
someone who is not competent to take effective action
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
irritatedadjectiveUS /ˈɪrəteɪtəd/
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
issuedverbUS /ˈɪʃuːd/
past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
pennedverbUS /pend/
inflected form of “pen” — produce a literary work
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
pronouncedadjectiveUS /prəˈnaʊnst/
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
purebrednounUS /ˈpjʊrˈbred/
a pedigreed animal of unmixed lineage; used especially of horses
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
QnounUS /kjuː/
the 17th letter of the Roman alphabet
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
scourgenounUS /skɜːrdʒ/
a whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
shedsnounUS /ʃedz/
plural of “shed” — an outbuilding with a single story; used for shelter or storage
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
shuntedverbUS /ˈʃʌntɪd/
past form of “shunt” — transfer to another track, of trains
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
slaughternounUS /ˈslɔːtər/
the killing of animals (as for food)
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
staggeringadjectiveUS /ˈstæɡərɪŋ/
so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
strickenadjectiveUS /ˈstrɪkən/
grievously affected especially by disease
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
a state of acute pain
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
surgeonnounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒən/
a physician who specializes in surgery
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
having come into contact
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
tournounUS /tʊr/
a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area
From this reading The tour of the Bar Q purebred bulls had been a disastrous and costly one.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
veterinaryadjectiveUS /ˈvetrəneri/
of or relating to veterinarians or veterinary medicine
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/
plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
at the time that
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
in or to any place at all
From this reading Wherever they touched it was their misfortune to be turned back or shunted farther afield.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading From city to city, at a staggering expense, went the prize herd, from which extraordinary things had been expected.
which person or people
From this reading Then there was a time when the Bar Q herd was condemned by a harassed and irritated authority who, upon the diagnosis of an incompetent veterinary surgeon, pronounced the cattle to be suffering from foot and mouth disease, and an order was issued for the slaughter of the entire herd, and the burning of all sheds, cars or other houses in which they had been penned.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading That winter the country was suffering from the fearful scourge, which having stricken down its victims by the thousands in Europe had passed over the sea to America.
