used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
anew
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading No unusual sight or sound alarmed them.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
COWnounUS /kaʊ/
female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
cowsnounUS /kaʊz/
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
crooningnounUS /ˈkruːnɪŋ/
singing in a soft low tone
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
accepted or habitual practice
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
Del
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
provide as food
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
handledadjectiveUS /ˈhændəld/
having a usually specified type of handle
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
handlingnounUS /ˈhændlɪŋ/
manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
herdnounUS /hɜːrd/
a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
Hersey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
HUNTERSnounUS /ˈhʌntərz/
plural of “hunter” — someone who hunts game
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
an instinctive motive
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
immediately past
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
Len
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
massedverbUS /mæst/
past form of “mass” — join together into a mass or collect or form a mass
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
the force of workers available
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
monotonousadjectiveUS /məˈnɑːtənəs/
tediously repetitious or lacking in variety
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
not any; not one
From this reading No unusual sight or sound alarmed them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading No unusual sight or sound alarmed them.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
redoubleverbUS /riˈdʌbəl/
double in magnitude, extent, or intensity
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
resumeverbUS /rɪˈzuːm/
take up or begin anew
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
move upward
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
cut with a saw
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading No unusual sight or sound alarmed them.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
in the near future
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading No unusual sight or sound alarmed them.
spacesnounUS /ˈspeɪsəz/
plural of “space” — the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
having a supporting base
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
straggleverbUS /ˈstræɡəl/
wander from a direct or straight course
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading No unusual sight or sound alarmed them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading No unusual sight or sound alarmed them.
look attentively
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
WilliamsnounUS /ˈwɪljəmz/
United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)
From this reading As Len Hersey said to Del Williams, they handled sweet so far.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE COW HUNTERS AT midnight the tired herd, after the strange fashion of cattle, rose almost as with one impulse and began slightly to straggle before lying down on the other side.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The four men then on the watch, slowly riding two in each direction of the round of the massed cattle, did not redouble their monotonous crooning—time out of mind a range custom in handling cows—but kept their spaces, knowing the herd would soon again resume its rest.
but in spite of that
From this reading The last watch saw the herd rise for the morning, not yet beginning to feed, standing, stretching.
