Chapter XI · Chapter 11

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

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

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

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Because of it, too, no dew had fallen; the nights were as dry as the days.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

for the reason that

From this reading Because of it, too, no dew had fallen; the nights were as dry as the days.

make a strident sound

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

processing that involves blowing a gas

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

a procession of people traveling on horseback

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

the act of constructing something

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

without stop or interruption

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

a slight wetness

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

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

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air

From this reading Because of it, too, no dew had fallen; the nights were as dry as the days.

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading Because of it, too, no dew had fallen; the nights were as dry as the days.

-ing form of “dry” — remove the moisture from and make dry

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

remove the dust from

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Because of it, too, no dew had fallen; the nights were as dry as the days.

pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

a relatively small granular particle of a substance

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

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

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

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

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

in an ineffectual manner

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

the act of departing

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

and nothing more

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

wetness caused by water

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

without a moon or a visible moon

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading Because of it, too, no dew had fallen; the nights were as dry as the days.

not any; not one

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

plural of “plant” — buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

consisting of fine particles

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

make a promise or commitment

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

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

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

the compass point midway between south and east; at 135 degrees

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

at a steady rate or pace

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

not in physical motion

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

having only essential or minimal features

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

past form of “suck” — draw into the mouth by creating a practical vacuum in the mouth

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

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

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

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

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Because of it, too, no dew had fallen; the nights were as dry as the days.

the upper part of anything

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Some two miles distant from the construction camp at the dam, a little cavalcade moved slowly through the darkness of a moonless, cloudy night.

up to a particular time

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

an indication that something has been present

From this reading It had blown for days steadily, until it had sucked every vestige of moisture from the top earth, leaving it merely powdery dust.

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

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

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

From this reading Because of it, too, no dew had fallen; the nights were as dry as the days.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

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

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

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

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

in the company of; together with

From this reading A southeast wind was blowing, but it was a drying wind, with no promise of rain.

causing great physical or mental suffering

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading In the grain fields, the continued blast had stripped the surface soil away from the young plants, wrenching and twisting them, desiccating their roots, which, still too feeble to reach what dampness lay lower down, sucked ineffectually at the dry breast of the earth.