Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

higher than, or over, something

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

relating to or containing an alkali; having a pH greater than 7

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

move towards

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

plural of “banner” — long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

plural of “bottom” — the lower side of anything

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

large shaggy-haired brown bison of North American plains

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

plural of “chieftain” — the leader of a group of people

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

plural of “column” — a line of units following one after another

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

any federal law-enforcement officer

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

a shape that spreads outward

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

-ing form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

abounding in grass

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

plural of “herd” — a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

having knobs

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

plural of “lion” — large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

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 Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

mated sexually

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

attach to a support

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

a change of position that does not entail a change of location

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

on one occasion

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

a deep prolonged loud noise

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

plural of “sentinel” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

plural of “shower” — a plumbing fixture that sprays water over you

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down these grassy gulches, around these sugar-loaf mesas, the giant brown cattle of the plains had crawled in long, dark, knobby lines.

formalwear consisting of full evening dress for men

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

not wooded

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

directed up

From this reading THE UPWARD TRAIL Once across the Missouri the trail began to mount.

past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading "Here is the true buffalo country," thought Mose, as they came to the treeless hills of the Great Muddy Water.

the act of signaling by a movement of the hand

From this reading On the green bottoms they had mated and fed and fought in thousands, roaring like lions, their huge hoofs flinging the alkaline earth in showers above their heads, their tongues curling, their tails waving like banners.

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.

a late time of life

From this reading On these smooth buttes Indian sentinels had stood, morning and evening, through a thousand years, to signal the movement of the wild herds, and from other distant hills columns of smoke by day, or the flare of signal fires at night, had warned the chieftains of the approach of enemies.