Chapter XIV · A Camp of Tramps

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

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

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

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

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

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

tried unsuccessfully

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

a youthful male person

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

without doubt or question

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

the act of grasping

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

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

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

absence of light or illumination

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

without deviation

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

divisible by two

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

at any time

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

set up or found

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

the act of acquiring something

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

plural of “glade” — a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

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

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

(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 It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

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

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

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

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

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

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

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

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

and nothing more

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

not caught with the senses or the mind

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

no person; not anyone

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

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

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

To move from a closed position.

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

with speed

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

to go back over again

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

precisely, exactly

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

-ing form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

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

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

comparative of “thick” — 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 He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

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

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

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

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

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 He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

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

From this reading It was evidently high time to be getting home, and the boy started back in the direction he had just come.

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

From this reading It was rapidly growing dark; strange night sounds were beginning to be heard in the forest, and a great dread began to clutch at the boy’s heart.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

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

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Was he really lost, as the Babes in the Wood had been, and would he die there, and be covered with leaves, so that even his body could not be found, and nobody would ever know what had become of him?

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading This was clearly the wrong track; and, facing directly about, he now attempted to retrace his latest course.

but in spite of that

From this reading He was certain that it was the right direction, and yet the trees and bushes kept getting thicker and thicker, and he missed the open glades through which he had been strolling.