used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Once a husky howled.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/
any specific behavior
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
barkingverbUS /ˈbɑːrkɪŋ/
-ing form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
CreenounUS /kriː/
a member of an Algonquian people living in central Canada
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
flickeredverbUS /ˈflɪkərd/
past form of “flicker” — move back and forth very rapidly
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
gutturaladjectiveUS /ˈɡʌtərəl/
like the sounds of frogs and crows
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
howledverbUS /haʊld/
past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries
From this reading Once a husky howled.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
huskyadjectiveUS /ˈhʌski/
muscular and heavily built
From this reading Once a husky howled.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
lanternsnounUS /ˈlæntərnz/
plural of “lantern” — light in a transparent protective case
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
the force of workers available
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
nickering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
on one occasion
From this reading Once a husky howled.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
poniesnounUS /ˈpoʊniz/
plural of “pony” — a range horse of the western United States
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
stableadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪbəl/
resistant to change of position or condition
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
in or at that place or location
From this reading From the open door of another building—evidently a stable—there flickered the light of several lanterns.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Here men called to each other in guttural Cree amid the confusion of barking dogs and the nickering of ponies.
tramplingnounUS /ˈtræmplɪŋ/
the sound of heavy treading or stomping
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading He could hear voices now and the hurried trampling of feet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading The stable, about fifty yards on the north side of the house, was the center of unusual activity.
