used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
anew
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
arightadverb
in an accurate manner
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
have
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
BlackfootnounUS /ˈblækfʊt/
a member of a warlike group of Algonquians living in the northwestern plains
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
characterizesverbUS /ˈkerəktəraɪzəz/
third-person singular of “characterize” — describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
doubtingadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtɪŋ/
marked by or given to doubt
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
at any time
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
opinion or judgment
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
generis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
grizzlynounUS /ˈɡrɪzli/
powerful brownish-yellow bear of the uplands of western North America
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
huenounUS /hjuː/
the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
huntersnounUS /ˈhʌntərz/
plural of “hunter” — someone who hunts game
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
a boy or man
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
mattedadjective
tangled in a dense mass
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading Yes; there was no mistake about it.
subject to death
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
naturalistsnounUS /ˈnætʃərəlɪsts/
plural of “naturalist” — an advocate of the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
not any; not one
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
Northend
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
freed from illness or injury
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
repulsiveadjectiveUS /riˈpʌlsɪv/
offensive to the mind
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
Robsart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
rubbedverbUS /rʌbd/
inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
RuffnounUS /rʌf/
an external body part consisting of feathers or hair about the neck of a bird or other animal
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
cut with a saw
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
self-possessionnoun
the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
speciesnounUS /ˈspiːʃiz/
(biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
stripedadjectiveUS /straɪpt/
marked or decorated with stripes
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
sui
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
confined on all sides
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
tawnyadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːni/
of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
express in words
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Yes; there was no mistake about it.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
undergrowthnounUS /ˈʌndərɡroʊθ/
the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
universallyadverbUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəli/
everywhere
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again.
in or at the place that
From this reading As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head to tail!
an affirmative
From this reading Yes; there was no mistake about it.
