used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
any person at all
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading The receiver of the radiophone was clamped over his ears beneath his cap.
boughsnounUS /baʊz/
plural of “bough” — any of the larger branches of a tree
From this reading He had dragged into the clump a number of spruce boughs.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading The receiver of the radiophone was clamped over his ears beneath his cap.
clampedverbUS /klæmpt/
past form of “clamp” — fasten or fix with a clamp
From this reading The receiver of the radiophone was clamped over his ears beneath his cap.
clumpnounUS /klʌmp/
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
unvarying in nature
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
Curlie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading He had dragged into the clump a number of spruce boughs.
EarlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading The receiver of the radiophone was clamped over his ears beneath his cap.
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had dragged into the clump a number of spruce boughs.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He had dragged into the clump a number of spruce boughs.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading He had dragged into the clump a number of spruce boughs.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The receiver of the radiophone was clamped over his ears beneath his cap.
pinenounUS /paɪn/
a coniferous tree
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
radiophonenoun
a telephone that communicates by radio waves rather than along cables
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
receivernounUS /rəˈsiːvər/
set that receives radio or tv signals
From this reading The receiver of the radiophone was clamped over his ears beneath his cap.
receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading On these he sat.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
small or little relative to something else
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
sprucenounUS /spruːs/
light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used especially for timbers and millwork
From this reading He had dragged into the clump a number of spruce boughs.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading On these he sat.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On one side of him was his smaller radiophone receiving set and on the other his rifle.
look attentively
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
in or at the place that
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Early next morning Curlie established himself in the midst of a thick clump of young pine trees where he could keep a constant watch on the trail and not be seen by anyone approaching.
