used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading But they were not alone in the air.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading But they were not alone in the air.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
ATTACKEDverbUS /əˈtækt/
past form of “attack” — launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
From this reading ATTACKED BY COWBOYS.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
bluff-bordered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading ATTACKED BY COWBOYS.
canopynounUS /ˈkæn.ə.pi/
An overhead roof or structure, such as the high vaulted ceiling of an ancient library.
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
COWBOYSnounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/
plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading ATTACKED BY COWBOYS.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
crownedadjectiveUS /kraʊnd/
having an (artificial) crown on a tooth
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
enginesnounUS /ˈendʒənz/
plural of “engine” — motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
freightnounUS /freɪt/
goods carried by a large vehicle
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
greetingnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/
(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
gridirons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
heightsnounUS /haɪts/
a high place
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But they were not alone in the air.
inkyadjectiveUS /ˈɪŋki/
of the color of black ink
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
locomotivesnounUS /ˌloʊkəˈmoʊtɪvz/
plural of “locomotive” — a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
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 But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But they were not alone in the air.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
puffingnounUS /ˈpʌfɪŋ/
blowing tobacco smoke out into the air
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
railroadnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊd/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
residencesnounUS /ˈrezɪdənsɪz/
plural of “residence” — any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
riversnounUS /ˈrɪvərz/
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
screechingnounUS /ˈskriːtʃɪŋ/
a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
SmokyadjectiveUS /ˈsmoʊki/
marked by or emitting or filled with smoke
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
soaredverbUS /sɔːrd/
past form of “soar” — rise rapidly
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
in the near future
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Every one of the engines gave them a screeching greeting as they soared steadily along far above them.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
trainsnounUS /treɪnz/
plural of “train” — public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
veritableadjectiveUS /ˈverɪtəbəl/
often used as intensifiers
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But they were not alone in the air.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Smoky City, with its inky smoke canopy, bluff-bordered rivers and distant heights crowned with beautiful residences, was soon left far behind.
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading But for a long time the boys flew high above veritable gridirons of railroad yards crowded with busy freight trains and puffing yard locomotives.
