used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
bottlesnounUS /ˈbɑːtəlz/
plural of “bottle” — a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
bricksnounUS /brɪks/
plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
camp-fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
champagnenounUS /ʃæmˈpeɪn/
a white sparkling wine either produced in Champagne or resembling that produced there
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
cottonnounUS /ˈkɑːtən/
soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
set up or found
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
foundationnounUS /faʊnˈdeɪʃən/
the basis on which something is grounded
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
foundationsnounUS /faʊnˈdeɪʃənz/
plural of “foundation” — the basis on which something is grounded
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
the act of departing
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
litteredadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtərd/
filled or scattered with a disorderly accumulation of objects or rubbish
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
outlinesnounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnz/
plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
ovalnounUS /ˈoʊvəl/
a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
prosperousadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːspərəs/
in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
racetracknounUS /ˈreɪstræk/
a course over which races are run
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
recentadjectiveUS /ˈriːsənt/
new
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
only a very short time before
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
sitenounUS /saɪt/
the piece of land on which something is located (or is to be located)
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
St
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
stumbledverbUS /ˈstʌmbəld/
past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It had evidently been a gay and prosperous place at one time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
traceableadjectiveUS /ˈtreɪsəbəl/
(usually followed by “to”) able to be traced to
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
uncannyadjectiveUS /ənˈkæni/
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
the act of using
From this reading A little farther on they found a foundation almost half full of broken champagne bottles, and beyond that the oval of a racetrack almost uncanny in its appearance of recent use.
precisely as stated
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
warehousesnounUS /ˈwerhaʊzɪz/
plural of “warehouse” — a storehouse for goods and merchandise
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were, indeed, going into a new country, that is, a new and strange country to them, but really a very cold country if they were to believe the signs about them.
at the time that
From this reading They were scarcely out of sight of the camp-fire site when they stumbled on to the ruins of the old town of St. Joseph.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The outlines of the foundations of huge cotton warehouses were distinctly traceable and the ground was littered with pieces of broken bricks.
