used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading The captain's rifle was in his hand, but he did not yet prepare for action.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
bagsnounUS /bæɡz/
plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
breastworknoun
fortification consisting of a low wall
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
BurkenounUS /bɜːrk/
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
buttverbUS /bʌt/
lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
captain'snounUS /ˈkæptənz/
possessive form of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The captain's rifle was in his hand, but he did not yet prepare for action.
crevicenounUS /ˈkrevəs/
a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The captain's rifle was in his hand, but he did not yet prepare for action.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
exposeverbUS /ɪkˈspoʊz/
expose or make accessible to some action or influence
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The captain's rifle was in his hand, but he did not yet prepare for action.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
furrowverbUS /ˈfɜːroʊ/
hollow out in the form of a furrow or groove
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The captain's rifle was in his hand, but he did not yet prepare for action.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he quickly joined the others.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
HornnounUS /hɔːrn/
a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
ten 10s
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading Then he quickly joined the others.
kneltverbUS /nelt/
inflected form of “kneel” — rest one's weight on one's knees
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
set down according to a plan
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
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 THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
the force of workers available
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
negroesnounUS /ˈniːɡroʊz/
plural of “negro” — a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he quickly joined the others.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
parallelnounUS /ˈperəlel/
something having the property of being analogous to something else
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
prepareverbUS /priˈper/
make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
From this reading The captain's rifle was in his hand, but he did not yet prepare for action.
with speed
From this reading Then he quickly joined the others.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
Shirley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
stationedverbUS /ˈsteɪʃənd/
past form of “station” — assign to a station
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he quickly joined the others.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
the upper part of anything
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The captain's rifle was in his hand, but he did not yet prepare for action.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading As the boats came on, the negroes crouched on the sand, entirely out of sight, while Shirley and Burke each knelt down behind the barrier, with his rifle laid in a crevice in the top.
a Caucasian
From this reading The three white men stationed themselves a little distance apart, and each moved a few of the top bags so as to get a good sight between them, and not expose themselves too much.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN WALL The five men now got behind the barrier of bags, but, before following them, Captain Horn, with the butt of his rifle, drew a long, deep furrow in the sand about a hundred feet from the breastwork of bags, and parallel with it.
but in spite of that
From this reading The captain's rifle was in his hand, but he did not yet prepare for action.
