used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
from appearances alone
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
bluffnounUS /blʌf/
a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
inflected form of “bear” — have
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
burialnounUS /ˈberiəl/
the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
an occurrence of something
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
circledverbUS /ˈsɜːrkəld/
past form of “circle” — travel around something
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
ConfidentadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnfədənt/
having or marked by confidence or assurance
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
decentadjectiveUS /ˈdiːsənt/
socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
departingverbUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪŋ/
-ing form of “depart” — move away from a place into another direction
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
determineverbUS /dəˈtɜːrmən/
establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
discernedverbUS /dɪˈsɜːrnd/
past form of “discern” — detect with the senses
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
one or the other of two
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
apart from; not including
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
hostiles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
Keith
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
in motion
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
not any; not one
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
perchanceadverbUS /pərˈtʃæns/
through chance
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
compacted by ironing
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
pursuersnounUS /pərˈsuːərz/
plural of “pursuer” — a person who is pursuing and trying to overtake or capture
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
raidersnounUS /ˈreɪdərz/
plural of “raider” — someone who takes spoils or plunder (as in war)
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
spotsnounUS /spɑːts/
spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading Confident that no hostiles would be left behind to observe his movements, Keith pressed steadily forward, leading his horse.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
tragedynounUS /ˈtrædʒədi/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
traversedverbUS /ˈtrævərst/
past form of “traverse” — travel across or pass over
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
undoubtedlyadverbUS /ənˈdaʊtɪdli/
without doubt; certainly
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
unfortunatesnounUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənəts/
plural of “unfortunate” — a person who suffers misfortune
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
except if; if not
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
unlikelyadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪkli/
not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurred
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
wagonsnounUS /ˈwæɡənz/
plural of “wagon” — any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor
From this reading He had thus traversed fully half a mile before coming upon any evidence of a fight--here the pursuers had apparently come up with the wagons, and circled out upon either side.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was nothing left for Keith to do except determine the fate of the unfortunates, and give their bodies decent burial.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
but in spite of that
From this reading That any had escaped, or yet lived, was altogether unlikely, unless, perchance, women had been in the party, in which case they would have been borne away prisoners.
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading Whatever might be the nature of the tragedy it would be over with long before this, and those moving black spots away yonder to the west, that he had discerned from the bluff, were undoubtedly the departing raiders.
