used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
at or in the front
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
arroyonounUS /ərˈɔɪoʊ/
a stream or brook
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
next to; at the side of
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
bulletnounUS /ˈbʊlət/
a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
clumpnounUS /klʌmp/
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
cottonwoodsnounUS /ˈkɑːtənwʊdz/
plural of “cottonwood” — any of several North American trees of the genus Populus having a tuft of cottony hairs on the seed
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
DISCOMFITUREnoun
anxious embarrassment
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
dismounted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
espied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
handfulnounUS /ˈhændfʊl/
a small number or amount
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
hummed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
indistinctadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/
not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
kickedverbUS /kɪkt/
past form of “kick” — drive or propel with the foot
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
in motion
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
pebblenounUS /ˈpebəl/
a small smooth rounded rock
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
rearedverbUS /rɪrd/
past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
RED'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
being or feeling set or kept apart from others
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
shovedverbUS /ʃʌvd/
past form of “shove” — come into rough contact with while moving
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
spasmodicallyadverbUS /spæzˈmɔːdɪkli/
with spasms
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
spatverbUS /spæt/
come down like raindrops
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
specknounUS /spek/
a very small spot
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
spurtedverbUS /ˈspɜːrtɪd/
past form of “spurt” — gush forth in a sudden stream or jet
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
swearingnounUS /ˈswerɪŋ/
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Ten minutes after he had changed his course he espied an indistinct black speck moving among a clump of cottonwoods over half a mile ahead of him, and as he swung his glasses on it a cloud of smoke spurted out.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
tremornounUS /ˈtremər/
an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear)
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading RED'S DISCOMFITURE On their return they separated and Red, coming to an arroyo, rode along its edge for a mile and then turned north.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
viciousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪʃəs/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
in or at the place that
From this reading His horse reared, plunged, and then sank to earth where it kicked spasmodically and lay quiet.
which person or people
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
WinchesternounUS /ˈwɪntʃestər/
a city in southern England; administrative center of Hampshire
From this reading As the horse died Red, who had dismounted at the first tremor, threw himself down behind it and shoved his rifle across the body, swearing at the range, for at that distance his Winchester was useless.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A small handful of sand flew into the air close beside him with a vicious spat, and the bullet hummed away into the brush as a small pebble struck him sharply on the cheek.
