used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading AN ACCIDENT.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ACCIDENT.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
AustralianounUS /ɔːˈstreɪljə/
a nation occupying the whole of the Australian continent; Aboriginal tribes are thought to have migrated from southeastern Asia 20,000 years ago; first Europeans were British convicts sent there as a penal colony
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
conveyancenounUS /kənˈveɪəns/
document effecting a property transfer
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
describesverbUS /dɪˈskraɪbz/
third-person singular of “describe” — give a description of
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/
covered with a layer of dust
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
encounterverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntər/
come together
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
endurableadjective
capable of being borne though unpleasant
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
herbagenoun
succulent herbaceous vegetation of pasture land
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
modenounUS /moʊd/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
MosquitonounUS /məˈskiːtoʊ/
two-winged insect whose female has a long proboscis to pierce the skin and suck the blood of humans and animals
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
used to form the superlative
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
PlainsnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
provincenounUS /ˈprɑːvəns/
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
scantadjectiveUS /skænt/
less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
scenerynounUS /ˈsiːnəri/
the painted structures of a stage set that are intended to suggest a particular locale
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
servesnounUS /sɜːrvz/
plural of “serve” — (sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
shrubsnounUS /ʃrʌbz/
plural of “shrub” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
not in physical motion
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
successionnounUS /səkˈseʃən/
a following of one thing after another in time
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
express in words
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
tolerablyadverb
in an acceptable (but not outstanding) manner
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
torturesnounUS /ˈtɔːrtʃərz/
plural of “torture” — extreme mental distress
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
tracksnounUS /træks/
plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
travelersnounUS /ˈtrævələrz/
plural of “traveler” — a person who changes location
From this reading Our travelers made tolerably good progress by their new mode of conveyance.
traversedverbUS /ˈtrævərst/
past form of “traverse” — travel across or pass over
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
precisely as stated
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The heat was great, but endurable, and the road was quite easy for the horses.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were still in the province of South Australia, and in this part at least the scenery was not of the most interesting character.
at the time that
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
belonging to which person
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A succession of small hills, with very dusty tracks, small shrubs, and scant herbage, had to be traversed for several miles; and when these had been passed they reached the "Mosquito Plains," whose very name describes them, and serves to tell of the tortures that our friends had to encounter.
