used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
in the past
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
cluenounUS /kluː/
a slight indication
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
GrizzlynounUS /ˈɡrɪzli/
powerful brownish-yellow bear of the uplands of western North America
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
headedadjectiveUS /ˈhedəd/
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
inquirynounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪriː/
a search for knowledge
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
Merrill's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
go across or through
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
ranchernounUS /ˈræntʃər/
a person who owns or operates a ranch
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
reliedverbUS /rɪˈlaɪd/
inflected form of “rely” — have faith or confidence in
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
rustlersnounUS /ˈrʌsələrz/
plural of “rustler” — someone who steals livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading TAKING UP THE TRAIL.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "According to him the rustlers passed him headed for Grizzly Pass not more than an hour ago.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TAKING UP THE TRAIL.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading TAKING UP THE TRAIL.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading TAKING UP THE TRAIL.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
volubleadjectiveUS /ˈvɑːljəbəl/
marked by a ready flow of speech
From this reading The new arrival replied to Mr. Merrill's look of inquiry by a voluble flood of Spanish.
at the time that
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
which person or people
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "This man, if he is to be relied upon, has furnished us with a valuable clue," he said.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading When he paused for breath, the rancher, who understood the language perfectly, turned to the professor and his young companions.
