used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
alkalinounUS /ˈælkəlaɪ/
any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
next to; at the side of
From this reading The bleached bones of a cow shone white beside the trail.
bleachedadjectiveUS /bliːtʃt/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading The bleached bones of a cow shone white beside the trail.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading The bleached bones of a cow shone white beside the trail.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading A rattlesnake slid toward the cover of a prickly pear.
cownounUS /kaʊ/
female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"
From this reading The bleached bones of a cow shone white beside the trail.
cowpunchers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
dancedverbUS /dænst/
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
remove the dust from
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading Lizards sunned themselves on flat rocks.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
GUNSIGHTnoun
a sight used for aiming a gun
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
LizardsnounUS /ˈlɪzərdz/
plural of “lizard” — relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail
From this reading Lizards sunned themselves on flat rocks.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Lizards sunned themselves on flat rocks.
go across or through
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
pearnounUS /per/
sweet juicy gritty-textured fruit available in many varieties
From this reading A rattlesnake slid toward the cover of a prickly pear.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
pricklyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪkli/
very irritable
From this reading A rattlesnake slid toward the cover of a prickly pear.
the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
rattlesnakenounUS /ˈrætəlsneɪk/
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading A rattlesnake slid toward the cover of a prickly pear.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
ridersnounUS /ˈraɪdərz/
plural of “rider” — a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Lizards sunned themselves on flat rocks.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading The bleached bones of a cow shone white beside the trail.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading A rattlesnake slid toward the cover of a prickly pear.
hurting
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
sunned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lizards sunned themselves on flat rocks.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Lizards sunned themselves on flat rocks.
throatsnounUS /θroʊts/
plural of “throat” — the passage to the stomach and lungs; in the front part of the neck below the chin and above the collarbone
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading A rattlesnake slid toward the cover of a prickly pear.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading The bleached bones of a cow shone white beside the trail.
undulatingverbUS /ˈʌndʒəleɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “undulate” — stir up (water) so as to form ripples
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
a Caucasian
From this reading The bleached bones of a cow shone white beside the trail.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading GUNSIGHT PASS The pursuit took the riders across a wide, undulating plain above which danced the dry heat of the desert.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The throats of the cowpunchers filled with alkali dust and their eyes grew red and sore from it.
