used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
acresnounUS /ˈeɪkərz/
extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The broad, fat acres were almost level.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
bakedadjectiveUS /beɪkt/
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The broad, fat acres were almost level.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
buckskinnounUS /ˈbʌkskɪn/
horse of a light yellowish dun color with dark mane and tail
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
Casey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/
a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
Donald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
Dunne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
ExhibitverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪbɪt/
show an attribute, property, knowledge, or skill
From this reading It was Exhibit A to incomers, a witness to the results of irrigation.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading The broad, fat acres were almost level.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
fretfuladjectiveUS /ˈfretfəl/
nervous and unable to relax
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
grassesnounUS /ˈɡræsəz/
plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
haltverbUS /hɔːlt/
cause to stop
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
incomers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Exhibit A to incomers, a witness to the results of irrigation.
irrigationnounUS /ˌɪrəˈɡeɪʃən/
supplying dry land with water by means of ditches etc
From this reading It was Exhibit A to incomers, a witness to the results of irrigation.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading The broad, fat acres were almost level.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
lushadjectiveUS /lʌʃ/
produced or growing in extreme abundance
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
any art that invokes supernatural powers
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
McCrae
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
oasisnounUS /oʊˈeɪsɪs/
a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
ownedadjectiveUS /oʊnd/
having an owner; often used in combination
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
pioneernounUS /ˌpaɪəˈnɪr/
someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
rainsnounUS /reɪnz/
plural of “rain” — water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
RanchnounUS /ræntʃ/
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
resultsnounUS /rɪˈzʌlts/
plural of “result” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading It was Exhibit A to incomers, a witness to the results of irrigation.
move upward
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
not often
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
slopingadjectiveUS /ˈsloʊpɪŋ/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
Talapus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
thousand-odd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
toppedadjectiveUS /tɑːpt/
having a top of a specified character
From this reading Casey Dunne pulled a fretful buckskin to a halt as he topped a rise and looked down on Talapus Ranch.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The ranch was owned by Donald McCrae, a pioneer of the district, and it was the show place of the country.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The broad, fat acres were almost level.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It lay before him, the thousand-odd acres of it, lush and green beneath the sloping, afternoon sun, an oasis in a setting of brown, baked earth and short, dry grasses which seldom felt the magic of the rains.
someone who sees an event and reports what happened
From this reading It was Exhibit A to incomers, a witness to the results of irrigation.
