used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
bearsnounUS /berz/
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
caribounounUS /ˈkerɪbuː/
Arctic deer with large antlers in both sexes; called “reindeer” in Eurasia and “caribou” in North America
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
confrontedverbUS /kənˈfrʌntəd/
past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
destituteadjectiveUS /ˈdestətuːt/
poor enough to need help from others
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
set up or found
From this reading Musk oxen had been seldom found and then only in the far inland valleys.
fuelverbUS /ˈfjuːəl/
provide with a combustible substance that provides energy
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
herdsnounUS /hɜːrdz/
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 The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Musk oxen had been seldom found and then only in the far inland valleys.
inlandadjectiveUS /ˈɪnlænd/
situated away from an area's coast or border
From this reading Musk oxen had been seldom found and then only in the far inland valleys.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
not caught with the senses or the mind
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
musknounUS /mʌsk/
an odorous glandular secretion from the male musk deer; used as a perfume fixative
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
and nothing more
From this reading Musk oxen had been seldom found and then only in the far inland valleys.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
oxennounUS /ˈɑːksən/
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
securedverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrd/
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
securingverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrɪŋ/
-ing form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
not often
From this reading Musk oxen had been seldom found and then only in the far inland valleys.
severitynounUS /sɪˈverɪti/
used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
in the near future
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
starvationnounUS /stɑːrˈveɪʃən/
a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Musk oxen had been seldom found and then only in the far inland valleys.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
tribenounUS /traɪb/
a social division of (usually preliterate) people
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
except if; if not
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
unprecedentedadjectiveUS /ənˈpresɪdentɪd/
having no precedent; novel
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
valleysnounUS /ˈvæliz/
plural of “valley” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading Musk oxen had been seldom found and then only in the far inland valleys.
walrusnounUS /ˈwɔːlrəs/
either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The walrus were too far away to be seen.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The summer season, which was now drawing to a close, had been destitute of every kind of game.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
wipedverbUS /waɪpt/
past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading The previous winter had been one of unprecedented severity and had wiped out bears, and herds of caribou and musk oxen.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet the opportunity of securing walrus was too rare to be missed; for unless food and fuel were soon secured, starvation during the coming winter confronted the tribe.
