used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
biltongue
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
CHASEDnounUS /tʃeɪst/
a person who is being chased
From this reading HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
the act of consuming liquids
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
fileverbUS /faɪl/
record in a public office or in a court of law
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
gambols
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
destroyed or killed
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
HANSnounUS /hɑːns/
plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization
From this reading HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST.
herdnounUS /hɜːrd/
a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
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 Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
ludicrousadjectiveUS /ˈluːdəkrəs/
broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
molestingverbUS /məˈlestɪŋ/
-ing form of “molest” — harass or assault sexually; make indecent advances to
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
splashingnounUS /ˈsplæʃɪŋ/
the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
vley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
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 They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They came on in single file; but they had broken rank, and were splashing about in the water, before I thought of molesting them in any way.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
at the time that
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Of course I knew what they were, and that they were proper game; but I was so interested in watching their ludicrous gambols, that I did not think about my gun, until the whole herd had nearly finished drinking.
WILDEBEESTnoun
large African antelope having a head with horns like an ox and a long tufted tail
From this reading HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST.
wildebeests
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Then I remembered that we were living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the worse of a change.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
