used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
advancingadjectiveUS /ədˈvænsɪŋ/
moving forward
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
alarmingadjectiveUS /əˈlɑːrmɪŋ/
frightening because of an awareness of danger
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
beddingnounUS /ˈbedɪŋ/
coverings that are used on a bed
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
burdensnounUS /ˈbɜːrdənz/
plural of “burden” — an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
CrackverbUS /kræk/
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading Crack! crack, crack!
crawlverbUS /krɔːl/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
divined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
draggingadjectiveUS /ˈdræɡɪŋ/
marked by a painfully slow and effortful manner
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading THE END OF HOPE.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
a quick look
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading THE END OF HOPE.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
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 I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
limbnounUS /lɪm/
one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
loopholesnounUS /ˈluːphoʊlz/
plural of “loophole” — an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
not any; not one
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE END OF HOPE.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
coated with paint
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
housing available for people to live in
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
precisely, exactly
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
the state of being asleep
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
stragglingadjective
spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
successive (without a break)
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE END OF HOPE.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
volleynounUS /ˈvɑːli/
rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I had no sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose, than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of me.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl away, dragging a broken limb after him.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters.
