Chapter X · Chapter 10

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

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

(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 The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

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

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

past form of “approach” — move towards

From this reading They rode swiftly on, gaining in speed as they approached the town.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading They rode swiftly on, gaining in speed as they approached the town.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

shining intensely

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

lacking funds

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

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

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

past form of “cake” — form a coat over

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

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

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

any cone-shaped artifact

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

ludicrously odd

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

set up or found

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

-ing form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading They rode swiftly on, gaining in speed as they approached the town.

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it

From this reading The horses were very close together, straining, side by side, toward the goal.

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

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

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

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

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

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

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

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

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

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

the act of departing

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

an organization to gain political power

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

the time that has elapsed

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

in a plucky manner

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading They rode swiftly on, gaining in speed as they approached the town.

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

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

plural of “shape” — any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

get rid of

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The horses were very close together, straining, side by side, toward the goal.

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

move hurridly

From this reading They rode swiftly on, gaining in speed as they approached the town.

an intense or violent exertion

From this reading The horses were very close together, straining, side by side, toward the goal.

in a swift manner

From this reading They rode swiftly on, gaining in speed as they approached the town.

comparative of “tall” — great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

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

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

in or at that place or location

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading The horses were very close together, straining, side by side, toward the goal.

in the direction of

From this reading The horses were very close together, straining, side by side, toward the goal.

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

precisely as stated

From this reading The horses were very close together, straining, side by side, toward the goal.

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

From this reading The snow was so blinding that they did not see a group of buckboards and saddle-horses under a shed close at hand, nor guess that some of the party had found shelter in a house near by.

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

From this reading They had passed the gate of the ranch, leaving it open behind them, and now there were but a couple of miles between them and the town.

past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

a Caucasian

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

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

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The wind whistled past them, and the snow beat in their faces; the shapes in his beard grew more and more fantastic, the white cone on her hat grew taller, and then broke and tumbled into her lap; the horses bent their heads, all caked with snow, and cantered pluckily on.