used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
ascendingadjectiveUS /əˈsendɪŋ/
moving or going or growing upward
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
CAPTURINGverbUS /ˈkæptʃərɪŋ/
-ing form of “capture” — succeed in representing or expressing something intangible
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
cliffnounUS /klɪf/
a steep high face of rock
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
the act of departing
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
guide'snounUS /ɡaɪdz/
possessive form of “guide” — someone employed to conduct others
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
haltedverbUS /ˈhɔːltəd/
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
headquartersnounUS /ˈhedkwɔːrtərz/
(usually plural) the office that serves as the administrative center of an enterprise
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
LawrencenounUS /ˈlɔːrəns/
Roman martyr; supposedly Lawrence was ordered by the police to give up the church's treasure and when he responded by presenting the poor people of Rome he was roasted to death on a gridiron (died in 258)
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
leadersnounUS /ˈliːdərz/
the body of people who lead a group
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
lookoutnounUS /ˈlʊkaʊt/
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
NailsnounUS /neɪlz/
plural of “nail” — horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
not any; not one
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
on one occasion
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
pitchesnounUS /ˈpɪtʃɪz/
plural of “pitch” — the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
postedadjectiveUS /ˈpoʊstɪd/
publicly displayed
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
raidersnounUS /ˈreɪdərz/
plural of “raider” — someone who takes spoils or plunder (as in war)
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
realizationnounUS /ˈriːləˈzeɪʃən/
coming to understand something clearly and distinctly
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
RememberingnounUS /rɪˈmembərɪŋ/
the cognitive processes whereby past experience is remembered
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
past form of “rouse” — become active
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
SandyadjectiveUS /ˈsændi/
of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
soberedverbUS /ˈsoʊbərd/
past form of “sober” — cause to become sober
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
that is looked for
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
express in speech
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
steepadjectiveUS /stiːp/
having a sharp inclination
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
suspicionsnounUS /səˈspɪʃənz/
plural of “suspicion” — an impression that something might be the case
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
there's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
THIEVESnounUS /θiːvz/
plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
tracksnounUS /træks/
plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
two times
From this reading Once or twice the line halted as the leaders heard some sound that roused their suspicions, and several times Sandy and Nails dropped back.
untowardadjectiveUS /əntuːˈɔːrd/
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But nothing untoward occurred, and late in the afternoon they descended into the valley that was the headquarters of the raiders.
We're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We're in time; there's no one here," announced Lawrence after an examination of the ground for fresh horse or cattle tracks.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
at the time that
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Remembering their guide's statement about the cliff on which the lookout was posted when the raiders were at the mine, die boys sought it with their eyes.
the words that are spoken
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading CAPTURING THE CATTLE THIEVES As they wound in and out among the hills and rocks, now ascending, now going down steep pitches, the silence of their surroundings and the realization that they were bent on a dangerous mission sobered the boys and few words did they speak.
