used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
astonishinglyadverbUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃɪŋli/
in an amazing manner; to everyone's surprise
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
beefnounUS /biːf/
cattle that are reared for their meat
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
breakfast-time
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
broiledadjectiveUS /brɔɪld/
cooked by radiant heat (as over a grill)
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
day'snounUS /deɪz/
possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
conceived of or imagined or hoped for
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
horsemennounUS /ˈhɔːrsmən/
plural of “horseman” — a man skilled in equitation
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
march in a procession
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
come together
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
minersnounUS /ˈmaɪnərz/
plural of “miner” — laborer who works in a mine
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
not any; not one
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
by chance
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
roofsnounUS /ruːfs/
plural of “roof” — a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
salutedverbUS /səˈluːtɪd/
past form of “salute” — propose a toast to
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
seasonedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːzənd/
aged or processed
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
SkinnernounUS /ˈskɪnər/
United States actor (1858-1942)
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
soundlyadverbUS /ˈsaʊndli/
deeply or completely
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were full of dreams of the good times they meant to have.
toughadjectiveUS /tʌf/
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
precisely as stated
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough, seasoned horsemen.
at the time that
From this reading No bell rang for them, however, when breakfast-time came; but when they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and cold water, their ears were saluted by a very different sound.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the slightest sign of danger.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on the breakfast table.
