used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
BolsterverbUS /ˈboʊlstər/
support and strengthen
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
the act of breaking something
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
breathlessadjectiveUS /ˈbreθləs/
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
climbverbUS /klaɪm/
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
clutchingverbUS /ˈklʌtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
exhaustionnounUS /ɪɡˈzɔːstʃən/
extreme fatigue
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
the organ of sight
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
fracasnounUS /ˈfreɪkəs/
noisy quarrel
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
the act of departing
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
grapplingnounUS /ˈɡræplɪŋ/
the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
guerrillanounUS /ɡərˈɪlə/
a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
guerrillasnounUS /ɡərˈɪləz/
plural of “guerrilla” — a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
gun-barrel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
HackberrynounUS /ˈhækberi/
any of various trees of the genus Celtis having inconspicuous flowers and small berrylike fruits
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
Hackberry's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
haltverbUS /hɔːlt/
cause to stop
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
the act of retaining something
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
Jeff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
nailverbUS /neɪl/
attach something somewhere by means of nails
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
NESTnounUS /nest/
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
not any; not one
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
PICNICnounUS /ˈpɪknɪk/
a day devoted to an outdoor social gathering
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
REBELnounUS /ˈrebəl/
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
senselessadjectiveUS /ˈsensləs/
not marked by the use of reason
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
Shorty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
SinounUS /siː/
a tetravalent nonmetallic element; next to oxygen it is the most abundant element in the earth's crust; occurs in clay and feldspar and granite and quartz and sand; used as a semiconductor in transistors
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
sinewyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪnjuːi/
(of meat) full of sinews; especially impossible to chew
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
smalleradjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlər/
small or little relative to something else
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
standstillnounUS /ˈstændstɪl/
a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
stormcenters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading Si had knocked one guerrilla senseless with his gun-barrel, and now came to a breathless standstill in a struggle with another for the possession of his gun.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
thumbnounUS /θʌm/
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading BREAKING UP A BAD REBEL NEST IS NO PICNIC.
viciousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪʃəs/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
at the time that
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The children and dogs had broken up into several smaller stormcenters, in each of which a vicious fight was going on.
which person or people
From this reading Shorty was holding down one of the guerrillas who had tried to climb on his back when he was grappling with Hackberry.
in the company of; together with
From this reading WHEN physical exhaustion called a halt in the fracas, Mrs. Bolster was seated on Jeff Hackberry's breast with her sinewy hands clutching his long hair, and her thumb, with a cruel, long nail, pressing the ball of his one good eye.
