used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
react verbally
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
bracingnounUS /ˈbreɪsɪŋ/
a structural member used to stiffen a framework
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
deceptiveadjectiveUS /dɪˈseptɪv/
causing one to believe what is not true or fail to believe what is true
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
distancesnounUS /ˈdɪstənsəz/
plural of “distance” — the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
enclose in or as if in a frame
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
(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 He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading What he had seen was indeed a rocket.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
he'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading What he had seen was indeed a rocket.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
lizardnounUS /ˈlɪzərd/
relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
objectiveadjectiveUS /əbˈdʒektɪv/
undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
and nothing more
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
established beyond doubt
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
ratnounUS /ræt/
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
rocketnounUS /ˈrɑːkət/
any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading What he had seen was indeed a rocket.
except for; apart from
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
scurryverbUS /ˈskɜːri/
to move about or proceed hurriedly
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading What he had seen was indeed a rocket.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
very small
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
tiringadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪrɪŋ/
producing exhaustion
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
precisely as stated
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The cold, dry desert air was bracing, and nothing moved save the occasional scurry of some tiny rat or lizard.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He knew that distances in the desert were very deceptive, felt himself growing tired.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What he had seen was indeed a rocket.
a Caucasian
From this reading The white object proved to be a good deal farther away than he'd thought.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, this objective might be two or three miles away, he realized now, but only increased his pace as if in answer to his tiring frame.
