used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
adventurersnounUS /ædˈventʃərərz/
plural of “adventurer” — a person who enjoys taking risks
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
ammunitionnounUS /ˌæmjəˈnɪʃən/
projectiles to be fired from a gun
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/
past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
a body serving in an administrative capacity
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
DEFILEverb
place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
expressionsnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃənz/
plural of “expression” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
fugitivesnounUS /ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪvz/
plural of “fugitive” — someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
gangsnounUS /ɡæŋz/
plural of “gang” — an association of criminals
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading If they were under the necessity to play a part, so in a greater measure was he.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
harbouragenoun
(nautical) a place of refuge (as for a ship)
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If they were under the necessity to play a part, so in a greater measure was he.
not accessible to view
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
HumenounUS /hjuːm/
Scottish philosopher skeptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses (1711-1776)
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If they were under the necessity to play a part, so in a greater measure was he.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
incuriousadjective
showing absence of intellectual inquisitiveness or natural curiosity
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
instructionsnounUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃənz/
a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
immediately past
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading If they were under the necessity to play a part, so in a greater measure was he.
the force of workers available
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
MindfuladjectiveUS /ˈmaɪndfəl/
bearing in mind; attentive to
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
a particular point in time
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
Muata
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
the condition of being essential or indispensable
From this reading If they were under the necessity to play a part, so in a greater measure was he.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
and nothing more
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading If they were under the necessity to play a part, so in a greater measure was he.
participate in games or sport
From this reading If they were under the necessity to play a part, so in a greater measure was he.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
reservenounUS /rɪˈzɜːrv/
formality and propriety of manner
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
restrainverbUS /riˈstreɪn/
to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
revengefuladjective
disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
try to get or reach
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
self-possessedadjective
in full control of your faculties
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
a person who is owned by someone
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If they were under the necessity to play a part, so in a greater measure was he.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Only a strong hand could keep them in order, and Muata could not afford for a moment to sacrifice his authority.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
tribesnounUS /traɪbz/
plural of “tribe” — a social division of (usually preliterate) people
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading THE FIGHT IN THE DEFILE In the afternoon, having hidden away the reserve ammunition, they at last went down to the war council assembled under the tree in the village.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
at the time that
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
which person or people
From this reading The men about him were a mixed lot--of adventurers who had been compelled to seek a harbourage from revengeful enemies, of fugitives who had escaped from the slave gangs--and they were of several tribes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mindful of the instructions of Mr. Hume, the two boys were quite self-possessed and incurious, though it was a great effort to restrain expressions of surprise when they were face to face with Muata.
