used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
achedverbUS /eɪkt/
past form of “ache” — feel physical pain
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
anew
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
ArabnounUS /ˈærəb/
a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
CaironounUS /ˈkaɪroʊ/
a town at the southern tip of Illinois at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
caravannounUS /ˈkærəvæn/
a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
Charlie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
consequentlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəntli/
(sentence connectors) because of the reason given
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
remove the dust from
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
encircledadjectiveUS /ɪnˈsɜːrkəld/
confined on all sides
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
EthiopiannounUS /ˌiːθiˈoʊpiən/
a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
glassyadjectiveUS /ˈɡlæsi/
resembling glass in smoothness and shininess and slickness
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
a quick look
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
hammocknounUS /ˈhæmək/
a small natural hill
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
heatedadjectiveUS /ˈhiːtəd/
made warm or hot (“het” is a dialectal variant of “heated”)
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/
an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
the literary culture
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
mailnounUS /meɪl/
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
Meroe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
NilenounUS /naɪl/
the world's longest river (4150 miles); flows northward through eastern Africa into the Mediterranean; the Nile River valley in Egypt was the site of the world's first great civilization
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
not any; not one
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
outpostsnounUS /ˈaʊtpoʊsts/
plural of “outpost” — a station in a remote or sparsely populated location
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
plainsnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
re-enterverb
enter again
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
sandyadjectiveUS /ˈsændi/
of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
strainingnounUS /ˈstreɪnɪŋ/
an intense or violent exertion
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
possessing sweep
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
a special situation
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading It was not a simple thing to come all these thousands of miles to look at a pile of old ruins that promised nothing of interest to him after all.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
tributariesnounUS /ˈtrɪbjəteriz/
plural of “tributary” — a branch that flows into the main stream
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
Vance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
wanderverbUS /ˈwɑːndər/
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading Charlie Vance stood in the door of his tent and let his eyes wander over the landscape in curiosity.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
at the time that
From this reading Clouds of dust swept over the sandy plains; when they disappeared the heated air began its dance again, and he was glad to re-enter the tent and stretch himself at full length in his hammock.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Late one afternoon two weeks later, the caravan halted at the edge of the dirty Arab town which forms the outposts to the island of Meroe.
but in spite of that
From this reading The mail was not yet in from Cairo, consequently there were no letters; his eyes ached from straining them for a glimpse of the Ethiopian ruins across the glassy waters of the tributaries of the Nile which encircled the island.
