used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
plural of “article” — nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
being joined in close association
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
birchnounUS /bɜːrtʃ/
hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
bouldersnounUS /ˈboʊldərz/
plural of “boulder” — a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
canoenounUS /kəˈnuː/
small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
recognizable; marked
From this reading "We'll have to track the canoe up," Horace decided.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
to come or go into
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
fendverbUS /fend/
try to manage without help
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
fire-arms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
Fred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
growthnounUS /ɡroʊθ/
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
half-inch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
harnessedadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrnəst/
brought under control and put to use
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "We'll have to track the canoe up," Horace decided.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
HoracenounUS /ˈhɔːrəs/
Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)
From this reading "We'll have to track the canoe up," Horace decided.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
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 They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
MacgregornounUS /məˈɡreɡər/
Scottish clan leader and outlaw who was the subject of a 1817 novel by Sir Walter Scott (1671-1734)
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
engage in
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
portaging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
rockyadjectiveUS /ˈrɑːki/
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
a strong line
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/
thrown together in a disorderly fashion
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/
plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
dependable
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
stripverbUS /strɪp/
take away possessions from someone
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
thicketsnounUS /ˈθɪkəts/
plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "We'll have to track the canoe up," Horace decided.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading "We'll have to track the canoe up," Horace decided.
tracking-line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They got out the "tracking-line"--a long, stout, half-inch rope--and attached one end of it to the bow of the canoe.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "We'll have to track the canoe up," Horace decided.
wadedverbUS /ˈweɪdɪd/
past form of “wade” — walk (through relatively shallow water)
From this reading Peter Macgregor harnessed himself to the other end, and started up the narrow, rocky strip of shore; Horace waded beside the canoe in order to fend her off the boulders.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
We'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We'll have to track the canoe up," Horace decided.
wettingnounUS /ˈwetɪŋ/
the act of making something wet
From this reading Fred, carrying the fire-arms and a few other articles that a wetting would have ruined, scrambled through the thickets.
willownounUS /ˈwɪloʊ/
any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The mouth of the Smoke River was so rough that the boys could not enter it in the canoe; and the dense growth of birch and willow along the shores would make portaging difficult.
