used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
how long something has existed
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
birch-bark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
blocknounUS /blɑːk/
a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
a youthful male person
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
BrucenounUS /bruːs/
Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/
(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
chafeverbUS /tʃeɪf/
become or make sore by or as if by rubbing
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
contactnounUS /ˈkɑːntækt/
close interaction
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
divisible by two
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
fire-stick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
flintnounUS /flɪnt/
a hard kind of stone; a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
Ganawa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
handlingnounUS /ˈhændlɪŋ/
manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
improvementnounUS /ˌɪmˈpruːvmənt/
a change for the better; progress in development
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
injuredadjectiveUS /ˈɪndʒərd/
harmed
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
lappingnounUS /ˈlæpɪŋ/
covering with a design in which one element covers a part of another (as with tiles or shingles)
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
LEARNSverbUS /lɜːrnz/
third-person singular of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
held up in the air
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
a full supply
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
portableadjectiveUS /ˈpɔːrtəbəl/
easily or conveniently transported
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
punknounUS /pʌŋk/
an aggressive and violent young criminal
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
any competition
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
RaynounUS /reɪ/
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
revivedadjectiveUS /rɪˈvaɪvd/
restored to consciousness or life or vigor
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
ScoutsnounUS /skaʊts/
plural of “scout” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
sensitiveadjectiveUS /ˈsensətɪv/
responsive to physical stimuli
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
sparksnounUS /spɑːrks/
plural of “spark” — a momentary flash of light
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
tindernounUS /ˈtɪndər/
material for starting a fire
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
tradersnounUS /ˈtreɪdərz/
plural of “trader” — someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
precisely as stated
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This method of making fire was an improvement on the bow and fire-stick, which the Indians used before they came into contact with white traders.
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 He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
a Caucasian
From this reading THE WHITE BOY LEARNS Ganawa seemed now to have plenty of time.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Much to the surprise of Ray, Ganawa even built a fire, which he did by striking the edge of a piece of flint with a small piece of steel and catching the sparks on a piece of dry soft punk.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
woodcraftnoun
skill and experience in matters relating to the woods (as hunting or fishing or camping)
From this reading Steel, flint, and tinder are much more portable than the bow, stick, and block of dry wood used during the Stone Age of the human race, and now revived for an interesting and valuable exercise in woodcraft by the Boy Scouts.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He and Bruce lifted the canoe out of the water so that the lapping of the waves would not cause it to chafe on the rocks, for a canoe is very easily injured, and an Indian birch-bark is even more sensitive to rough handling than a white man’s canoe.
