used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
having fair knowledge of
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
(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 We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
BentonnounUS /ˈbentən/
United States artist whose paintings portrayed life in the Midwest and South (1889-1975)
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
CurlverbUS /kɜːrl/
form a curl, curve, or kink
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
a female human offspring
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
recognizable; marked
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
fittingadjectiveUS /ˈfɪtɪŋ/
in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
a fortified military post where troops are stationed
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
HelenanounUS /ˈhelənə/
capital of the state of Montana; located in western Montana
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
ten 10s
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
engage in
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
the force of workers available
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
MissourinounUS /məˈzʊri/
a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
not any; not one
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
robbedverbUS /rɑːbd/
inflected form of “rob” — take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
two-horse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
(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 We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Two men were fitting up a flat boat at Fort Benton, a hundred miles down the river from Helena.
at the time that
From this reading _The Return to Missouri._ It was too late in the fall when this decision was reached to make the trip by land, and we began to look about for an opportunity to go by the river.
a Caucasian
From this reading There were no white people living between the two places, and we were told that it was not safe to attempt the journey, as the Indians had killed and robbed many persons on that road.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
William'snounUS /ˈwɪljəmz/
possessive form of “williams” — United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)
From this reading We all--William, his wife and little daughter, Curl and myself got in William's two-horse wagon and made our way over to Fort Benton.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We were too well acquainted with Indians to be much afraid of them, so we decided to go.
