used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
BalladnounUS /ˈbæləd/
a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
crouchverbUS /kraʊtʃ/
bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
absence of light or illumination
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
deafadjectiveUS /def/
lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing wholly or in part
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
dumbadjectiveUS /dʌm/
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
easternadjectiveUS /ˈiːstərn/
lying toward or situated in the east
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
start firing a weapon
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
foemen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
gentry's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The tunnel he sought was on the second level.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
lanternnounUS /ˈlæntərn/
light in a transparent protective case
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
immediately past
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading The tunnel he sought was on the second level.
the force of workers available
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
MinknounUS /mɪŋk/
the expensive fur of a mink
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
numbadjectiveUS /nʌm/
lacking sensation
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The tunnel he sought was on the second level.
outcroppingnoun
the part of a rock formation that appears above the surface of the surrounding land
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
select carefully from a group
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
protectedadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪd/
kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
RevelverbUS /ˈrevəl/
take delight in
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
Rosk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
Ruck's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The tunnel he sought was on the second level.
plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
shalenounUS /ʃeɪl/
a sedimentary rock formed by the deposition of successive layers of clay
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
shelfnounUS /ʃelf/
A flat horizontal plane used to hold books or scrolls in a library.
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
that is looked for
From this reading The tunnel he sought was on the second level.
young nobleman attendant on a knight
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
plural of “stand” — a support or foundation
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
moving very fast
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
in or at that place or location
From this reading At last his foemen give before His pick as swift as fire; Before him now there stands alone The cruel, and savage squire!
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
up to a particular time
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
tunnelverbUS /ˈtʌnəl/
move through by or as by digging
From this reading The tunnel he sought was on the second level.
unhooked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
wanedverbUS /weɪnd/
past form of “wane” — grow smaller
From this reading The Mink has fought till nearly blind, Till almost deaf and dumb; Till all his strength is waned away, And all his senses numb.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The tunnel he sought was on the second level.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading He dropped down the ladder, unhooked a blue lantern to guide his way, and followed the narrow tunnel west.
in the company of; together with
From this reading --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink With thirty men at his back, Revel went down the valley at a crouch; slipped up the rock shelf to the eastern entrance of the great mine of Rosk, protected from the gentry's view by a chance outcropping of shale, and went into the darkness.
