Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

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

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

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

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

-ing form of “bristle” — be in a state of movement or action

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

curled or wound (especially in concentric rings or spirals)

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

placed crosswise

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

converted from cryptic to intelligible language

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

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

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

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

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

possessive form of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

cutlery used for serving and eating food

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

plural of “fork” — cutlery used for serving and eating food

From this reading Twenty-four hours later they reached the Forks of the Platte.

past form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

destroyed or killed

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

proceeding in small stages

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

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

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

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

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

plural of “horseman” — a man skilled in equitation

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading Twenty-four hours later they reached the Forks of the Platte.

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

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

signifying nothing

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Twenty-four hours later they reached the Forks of the Platte.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

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 By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

the middle of the day

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

above and across; more than

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

plural of “particle” — (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

a relatively flat highland

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

a river in Nebraska that flows eastward to become a tributary of the Missouri River

From this reading Twenty-four hours later they reached the Forks of the Platte.

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Twenty-four hours later they reached the Forks of the Platte.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

having an oblique or slanted direction

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

plural of “stage” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

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

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

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

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

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

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

create by training and teaching

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.

being four more than twenty

From this reading Twenty-four hours later they reached the Forks of the Platte.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Here the trail crossed the South Fork, slanted over the plateau that lay between the two branches, and gained the North Fork.

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

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

in or at the place that

From this reading Finally it was gone, absorbed into the detailless distance where the river coiled through the green.

a Caucasian

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae

From this reading Looking back they could see it in gradual stages of diminishment--a white serpent with a bristling head of scattered horsemen, then a white worm, its head a collection of dark particles, then a white thread with a head too insignificant to be deciphered.

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading By noon the next day the doctor's train had left the New York Company far behind.