used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
blastedadjectiveUS /ˈblæstəd/
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The utter havoc of the scene brought a fugitive smile to his lips.
buryingnounUS /ˈberiɪŋ/
concealing something under the ground
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
buttenounUS /bjuːt/
a hill that rises abruptly from the surrounding region; has a flat top and sloping sides
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
CarsonnounUS /ˈkɑːrsən/
United States biologist remembered for her opposition to the use of pesticides that were hazardous to wildlife (1907-1964)
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
Corrigan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
debrisnounUS /dəˈbriː/
the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
fugitivenounUS /ˈfjuːdʒətɪv/
someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
From this reading The utter havoc of the scene brought a fugitive smile to his lips.
gangnounUS /ɡæŋ/
an association of criminals
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
a long fixed look
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
greetingnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/
(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
havocnounUS /ˈhævək/
violent and needless disturbance
From this reading The utter havoc of the scene brought a fugitive smile to his lips.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading The utter havoc of the scene brought a fugitive smile to his lips.
litteredadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtərd/
filled or scattered with a disorderly accumulation of objects or rubbish
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
MassesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
the force of workers available
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
notingverbUS /ˈnoʊtɪŋ/
-ing form of “note” — make mention of
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
overlookingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkɪŋ/
used of a height or viewpoint
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
RIDESnounUS /raɪdz/
plural of “ride” — a journey in a vehicle (usually an automobile)
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
cut with a saw
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The utter havoc of the scene brought a fugitive smile to his lips.
sectionnounUS /ˈsekʃən/
a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading The utter havoc of the scene brought a fugitive smile to his lips.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
Trevison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading The utter havoc of the scene brought a fugitive smile to his lips.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
wavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading He saw Carson waving a hand to him, and he answered the greeting, noting as he did so that Corrigan stood at a little distance behind Carson, watching.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading ANOTHER WOMAN RIDES Trevison rode in to town the next morning.
wrecknounUS /rek/
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading On his way he went to the edge of the butte overlooking the level, and looked down upon the wreck and ruin he had caused.
wreckagenounUS /ˈrekədʒ/
the remaining parts of something that has been wrecked
From this reading Masses of twisted steel and iron met his gaze; the level was littered with debris, which a gang of men under Carson was engaged in clearing away; a great section of the butte had been blasted out, earth, rocks, sand, had slid down upon much of the wreckage, partly burying it.
