used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading “Let him alone,” said Pecos Pete.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
from appearances alone
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
arouseverbUS /ərˈaʊz/
call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
CornmealnounUS /ˈkɔːrnmiːl/
coarsely ground corn
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
corrals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
cowboynounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪ/
a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
cowboysnounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/
plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
dastardlyadjectiveUS /ˈdæstərdli/
despicably cowardly
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
divisible by two
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
FishernounUS /ˈfɪʃər/
someone whose occupation is catching fish
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
set up or found
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
half-breednoun
an offensive term for an offspring of parents of different racial group (especially of Caucasian and American Indian ancestry)
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
hammeredadjectiveUS /ˈhæmərd/
shaped or worked with a hammer and often showing hammer marks
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
Letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Let him alone,” said Pecos Pete.
held up in the air
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
medicinenounUS /ˈmedəsən/
the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
on one occasion
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
Pecosnoun
a tributary of the Rio Grande that flows southeastward from New Mexico through western Texas
From this reading “Let him alone,” said Pecos Pete.
Pete
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Let him alone,” said Pecos Pete.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
practicedadjectiveUS /ˈpræktəst/
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
pricksnounUS /prɪks/
plural of “prick” — insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
done under pressure
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Let him alone,” said Pecos Pete.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
surgeonnounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒən/
a physician who specializes in surgery
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
not known
From this reading The cowboys and the others scattered to search for the unknown who had fired the dastardly shot.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
whiskynounUS /ˈwɪski/
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading Behind one of the corrals they found Billy Cornmeal, apparently dead drunk, an empty whisky bottle clasped to his breast.
which person or people
From this reading Frank was lifted and carried into the house, and a cowboy by the name of Fisher, who had once practiced medicine, and was something of a surgeon, was rushed in to attend to him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They shook and hammered the half-breed, but not even several sharp pricks with the point of a knife served to arouse him.
