used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
backsnounUS /bæks/
plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
clambering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
a steep high face of rock
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
coveringnounUS /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
entrenchedadjectiveUS /enˈtrentʃt/
dug in
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
in a gradual manner
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
inspectornounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/
a high ranking police officer
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading The inspector led the rush up the rocks.
ledgesnounUS /ˈledʒɪz/
plural of “ledge” — a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
leveledverbUS /ˈlevəld/
past form of “level” — aim at
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
majoritynounUS /məˈdʒɔːrəti/
the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
the force of workers available
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
possenounUS /ˈpɑːsi/
a temporary police force
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
with little or no delay
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
ravinenounUS /rəˈviːn/
a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
riflesnounUS /ˈraɪfəlz/
plural of “rifle” — a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
move hurridly
From this reading The inspector led the rush up the rocks.
done under pressure
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
shelvesnounUS /ʃelvz/
Plural of shelf; the vast wooden or stone structures holding archives.
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
slopedadjective
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
stairwaynounUS /ˈsterweɪ/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
swarmedverbUS /swɔːrmd/
past form of “swarm” — be teeming, be abuzz
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
troopersnounUS /ˈtruːpərz/
plural of “trooper” — a soldier in a motorized army unit
From this reading Promptly the troopers swarmed forward from behind their horses, rushed to the side of the ravine, and began clambering up it.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Up the rocks, men, quick!” cried the inspector in command of the little _posse_ of police.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
in or at the place that
From this reading The majority of them chose a place where the cliff sloped gently back and was broken up into shelves and ledges like a natural stairway.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A couple remained entrenched behind the horses, with their rifles leveled across their own animals’ backs, covering their comrades.
