used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
Aha-ah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone.
(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 A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
badnessnounUS /ˈbædnəs/
that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
blamedadjectiveUS /bleɪmd/
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
the two together, not just one
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
bounceverbUS /baʊns/
spring back; spring away from an impact
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
bravedverbUS /breɪvd/
past form of “brave” — face and withstand with courage
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
BUCKSHOTnounUS /ˈbʌkʃɑːt/
small lead shot for shotgun shells
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
disasternounUS /dɪˈzæstər/
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
divisible by two
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
the act of giving
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
gloried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
groanedverbUS /ɡroʊnd/
past form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
Holman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
inspectverbUS /ˌɪnˈspekt/
look over carefully
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
jeeredverbUS /dʒɪrd/
past form of “jeer” — laugh at with contempt and derision
From this reading "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone.
justificationnounUS /ˌdʒʌstəfəˈkeɪʃən/
something (such as a fact or circumstance) that shows an action to be reasonable or necessary
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
LOADnounUS /loʊd/
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
the force of workers available
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone.
Paymasternoun
a person in charge of paying wages
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
pottedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːtɪd/
of plants; planted or grown in a pot
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
rabbitnounUS /ˈræbət/
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone.
free from harm or evil
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
done under pressure
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
express in words
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
she-cat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
sneakedverbUS /sniːkt/
past form of “sneak” — to go stealthily or furtively
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
be standing; be upright
From this reading "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
carry out
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
VirginianounUS /vərˈdʒɪnjə/
a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
From this reading He groaned and dropped the rock to take his leg in both hands, and then Virginia rushed to the rescue.
a message informing of danger
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
Wiley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
someone who sees an event and reports what happened
From this reading Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"
