Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

surprising greatly

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

someone who drives or rides in a boat

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

a cleaning implement for sweeping; bundle of straws or twigs attached to a long handle

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

past form of “characterize” — describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

in a manner differing from the usual or expected

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

the state of being decayed or destroyed

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

the act of someone who fishes as a diversion

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

having inhabitants; lived in

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

and nothing more

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

engage in

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

completely unclothed

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

on one occasion

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

a stock or supply of foods

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

plural of “reed” — tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

not circulating or flowing

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

occupy a large, elongated area

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

closely encircling

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

a source of materials to nourish the body

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

in or at that place or location

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading VOLUME XIII.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

the act of signaling by a movement of the hand

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

in or at the place that

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

which person or people

From this reading Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing.

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

in the company of; together with

From this reading A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.

the cardinal number that is the sum of twelve and one

From this reading VOLUME XIII.

but in spite of that

From this reading This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.