used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
anew
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
areasnounUS /ˈeriəz/
plural of “area” — a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Once there the first stage of the journey would be over.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
CalifornianounUS /ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə/
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
changingadjectiveUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/
marked by continuous change or effective action
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
croppingverbUS /ˈkrɑːpɪŋ/
inflected form of “crop” — cut short
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
encampedverbUS /ɪnˈkæmpt/
past form of “encamp” — live in or as if in a tent
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
opinion or judgment
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
firelightnoun
the light of a fire (especially in a fireplace)
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Once there the first stage of the journey would be over.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
the act of retaining something
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
imaginationsnounUS /ˌɪmædʒəˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “imagination” — the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
IndependencenounUS /ˌɪndɪˈpendəns/
freedom from control or influence of another or others
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading Once there the first stage of the journey would be over.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
mapsnounUS /mæps/
plural of “map” — a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
measuredadjectiveUS /ˈmeʒərd/
having notes of fixed rhythmic value
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
on one occasion
From this reading Once there the first stage of the journey would be over.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Once there the first stage of the journey would be over.
PlattenounUS /plæt/
a river in Nebraska that flows eastward to become a tributary of the Missouri River
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
sandyadjectiveUS /ˈsændi/
of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading Once there the first stage of the journey would be over.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
streaknounUS /striːk/
an unbroken series of events
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Once there the first stage of the journey would be over.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
threadlikeadjective
thin in diameter; resembling a thread
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
unfoldedverbUS /ənˈfoʊldɪd/
past form of “unfold” — develop or come to a promising stage
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading At night they unfolded the maps and holding them to the firelight measured the distance to the valley of the Platte.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Sunday again and they lay encamped near the Little Blue.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The country was changing, the trees growing thin and scattered and sandy areas were cropping up through the trail.
at the time that
From this reading When they started from Independence the Platte had shone to the eyes of their imaginations as a threadlike streak almost as far away as California.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Once there the first stage of the journey would be over.
