used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
BerbernounUS /ˈbɜːrbər/
a member of an indigenous people of northern Africa
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
next to; at the side of
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
the lower side of anything
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
braceverbUS /breɪs/
prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
camelsnounUS /ˈkæməlz/
plural of “camel” — cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in desert regions
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
clothing in general
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
clumpsnounUS /klʌmps/
plural of “clump” — a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
dewnounUS /duː/
water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
remove the dust from
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
fatiguenounUS /fəˈtiːɡ/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
headmannounUS /ˈhedmən/
an executioner who beheads the condemned person
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
headman's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
horriblyadverbUS /ˈhɔːrəbli/
of a dreadful kind
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
KITnounUS /kɪt/
a case for containing a set of articles
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
Kit's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
kneltverbUS /nelt/
inflected form of “kneel” — rest one's weight on one's knees
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
meltedadjectiveUS /ˈmeltəd/
changed from a solid to a liquid state
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
NEGOTIATESverbUS /nɪˈɡoʊʃieɪts/
third-person singular of “negotiate” — discuss the terms of an arrangement
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
noisesnounUS /ˈnɔɪzɪz/
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
held or filled or in use
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
signedadjectiveUS /saɪnd/
having a handwritten signature
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
be seated
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
smearedverbUS /smɪrd/
past form of “smear” — stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
caught or fixed
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
tamarisknounUS /ˈtæmərɪsk/
any shrub or small tree of the genus Tamarix having small scalelike or needle-shaped leaves and feathery racemes of small white or pinkish flowers; of mostly coastal areas with saline soil
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The headman and two or three others occupied the open front of the tent.
uncouthadjectiveUS /ˈʌnˈkuːθ/
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
wady
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading KIT NEGOTIATES In the morning before the sun was high, a Berber took Kit and his party to the headman's tent and signed them to sit in the sand.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Their clothes were smeared by dust to which the dew had stuck, and Kit's boots were broken.
wideningnounUS /ˈwaɪdənɪŋ/
an increase in width
From this reading In the background a row of camels, making strange noises, knelt beside a broken wall, and behind the uncouth animals stones and clumps of tamarisk melted into the widening bottom of the wady.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading His fatigue had not worn off much, he felt horribly dirty and dull, but he knew he must brace up.
