used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
ditchnounUS /dɪtʃ/
a long narrow excavation in the earth
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
ditchesnounUS /ˈdɪtʃəz/
plural of “ditch” — a long narrow excavation in the earth
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
remove the dust from
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
famishedadjectiveUS /ˈfæmɪʃt/
extremely hungry
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
fencesnounUS /ˈfensəz/
plural of “fence” — a barrier that serves to enclose an area
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading "We're helpless to prevent it, too, I guess!"
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
hordenounUS /hɔːrd/
a vast multitude
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
hornedadjectiveUS /hɔːrnd/
having a horn or horns or hornlike parts or horns of a particular kind
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "We're helpless to prevent it, too, I guess!"
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
indicateverbUS /ˈɪndəkeɪt/
be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
irrigationnounUS /ˌɪrəˈɡeɪʃən/
supplying dry land with water by means of ditches etc
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
immediately past
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
lendverbUS /lend/
bestow a quality on
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
Ludlum's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
a particular point in time
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading "We're helpless to prevent it, too, I guess!"
ranchnounUS /ræntʃ/
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
repairingverbUS /rɪˈperɪŋ/
-ing form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
Rob's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
only a very short time before
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
scrubverbUS /skrʌb/
clean with hard rubbing
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
season'snounUS /ˈsiːzənz/
possessive form of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
stacksnounUS /stæks/
a large number or amount
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Guess I'd better lend a hand," Rob said to himself.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "We're helpless to prevent it, too, I guess!"
trampledverbUS /ˈtræmpəld/
past form of “trample” — tread or stomp heavily or roughly
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
a source of difficulty
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
We're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We're helpless to prevent it, too, I guess!"
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading He had been repairing an irrigation ditch on the west side of the ranch and for some time had been watching a cloud of dust to the east; it seemed to indicate fresh trouble from Ludlum's hungry horde.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
wheatnounUS /wiːt/
annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains
From this reading Although scarcely ten days had passed since those scrub cattle had appeared in the hills, the famished animals had already broken fences, trampled growing wheat, horned last season's stacks and broken down banks of the irrigation ditches.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading And what was worse, if possible, than all that mischief, they were taking a great deal of Rob's time, every moment of which was worth money.
