25th
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
acridadjectiveUS /ˈæk.rɪd/
Having an unpleasantly bitter or pungent taste or smell.
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
equally
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
aridadjectiveUS /ˈærəd/
lacking sufficient water or rainfall
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/
happiness felt in a secure relationship
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
boundarynounUS /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/
A line that marks the limits of an area.
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
caravannounUS /ˈkærəvæn/
a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
claynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
dearthnounUS /dɜːrθ/
an acute insufficiency
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading THE DESERT.
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
driedadjectiveUS /draɪd/
not still wet
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
dropsnounUS /drɑːps/
plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
set up or found
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
karroo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
immediately past
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
measurementnounUS /ˈmeʒərmənt/
the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
mixturenounUS /ˈmɪkstʃər/
(chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding)
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
not any; not one
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
go across or through
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
pasturagenoun
succulent herbaceous vegetation of pasture land
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
poolsnounUS /puːlz/
plural of “pool” — an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
scorchingadjectiveUS /ˈskɔːrtʃɪŋ/
hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DESERT.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
travellersnounUS /ˈtrævələrz/
plural of “traveller” — a person who changes location
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
traversingverbUS /trəˈvɜːrsɪŋ/
-ing form of “traverse” — travel across or pass over
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
unfavourableadjective
not encouraging or approving or pleasing
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
vegetationnounUS /ˌvedʒəˈteɪʃən/
all the plant life in a particular region or period
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
precisely as stated
From this reading The last drops of rain in the pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and sand, very unfavourable to vegetation.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the dearth alike of pasturage and water.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
at the time that
From this reading When, on the 25th of December, they completed the measurement of another degree, and reached the northern boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the district they had been traversing and the new country, the real desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the travellers.
