Chapter XXIII

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

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

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

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

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

From this reading The cougars are never quite at home in the high mountains.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The cougars are never quite at home in the high mountains.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

next to; at the side of

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

a river that flows from central Wyoming to the Yellowstone River in southern Montana

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

large American feline resembling a lion

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

plural of “cougar” — large American feline resembling a lion

From this reading The cougars are never quite at home in the high mountains.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading In the first place he was under the great disadvantage of fighting in the enemy’s country.

a steep rugged rock or cliff

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading He hadn’t had a great deal of success with the mountain creatures.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading He hadn’t had a great deal of success with the mountain creatures.

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position

From this reading In the first place he was under the great disadvantage of fighting in the enemy’s country.

possessive form of “enemy” — an opposing military force

From this reading In the first place he was under the great disadvantage of fighting in the enemy’s country.

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

a Bantu language spoken in Cameroon

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading In the first place he was under the great disadvantage of fighting in the enemy’s country.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading In the first place he was under the great disadvantage of fighting in the enemy’s country.

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

From this reading He hadn’t had a great deal of success with the mountain creatures.

flesh of any of various grouse of the family Tetraonidae; usually roasted; flesh too dry to broil

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

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

From this reading He hadn’t had a great deal of success with the mountain creatures.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He hadn’t had a great deal of success with the mountain creatures.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

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

From this reading He hadn’t had a great deal of success with the mountain creatures.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

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

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

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

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading The cougars are never quite at home in the high mountains.

a physiological need for food; the consequence of food deprivation

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

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

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

the middle of the day

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading He hadn’t had a great deal of success with the mountain creatures.

plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading The cougars are never quite at home in the high mountains.

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The cougars are never quite at home in the high mountains.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

on one occasion

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

go across or through

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

a separate part of a whole

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

small short-eared burrowing mammal of rocky uplands of Asia and western North America

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading In the first place he was under the great disadvantage of fighting in the enemy’s country.

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading The cougars are never quite at home in the high mountains.

plural of “range” — an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

marked by or emitting or filled with smoke

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

the act of taking something from someone unlawfully

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

not in physical motion

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading He hadn’t had a great deal of success with the mountain creatures.

of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

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

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

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

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading In the first place he was under the great disadvantage of fighting in the enemy’s country.

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

From this reading In the first place he was under the great disadvantage of fighting in the enemy’s country.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The previous day he had caught a little pika on the sliderock; once a mountain grouse had failed to detect him lying like a tawny piece of crag beside a pass, but the great bighorn themselves had mostly been able to keep out of his way.

in the company of; together with

From this reading In the still midday, desperate and half-mad with hunger, Broken Fang, the cougar, came stealing along a narrow pass in the high ranges of Smoky Land.