used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Frank had already made up his mind on several matters.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
athletenounUS /ˈæθliːt/
a person trained to compete in sports
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
blindedadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪndɪd/
deprived of sight
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
a youthful male person
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
give encouragement to
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
COLUMBIA'SnounUS /kəˈlʌmbiəz/
possessive form of “columbia” — a North American river; rises in southwestern Canada and flows southward across Washington to form the border between Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific; known for its salmon runs in the spring
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
without deviation
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
every person
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
opinion or judgment
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading Frank had already made up his mind on several matters.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
hankerchiefs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
headingnounUS /ˈhedɪŋ/
a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Frank had already made up his mind on several matters.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
immediately past
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
for more time
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Frank had already made up his mind on several matters.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Frank had already made up his mind on several matters.
not any; not one
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
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 The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Frank had already made up his mind on several matters.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
create by training and teaching
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
unexpectedlyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/
in a way that was not expected
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Frank had already made up his mind on several matters.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
precisely as stated
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
wavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Now that the turn had been made, they had it easier; for they were no longer half blinded by that glare.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
at the time that
From this reading For everybody loves a boy athlete, and seems to be drawn to utter strangers, when coming upon them unexpectedly.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
in the company of; together with
From this reading COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE On the run out they had been heading almost due west, with the sun shining directly in their eyes.
the words that are spoken
From this reading The railroad was not so very far off but that a train passing at one place, the passengers leaned out of the windows waving hankerchiefs, and shouting words of cheer.
