used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
barkingverbUS /ˈbɑːrkɪŋ/
-ing form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
have
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
take in liquids
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
Ganawa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
go away from a place
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
roused to anger
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
moosenounUS /muːs/
large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male; called “elk” in Europe and “moose” in North America
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
by chance
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
poolnounUS /puːl/
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
porcupinenounUS /ˈpɔːrkjəpaɪn/
relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
smelledverbUS /smeld/
past form of “smell” — inhale the odor of; perceive by the olfactory sense
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
SMOKE-HOUSE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Some dogs do not know enough to leave a porcupine alone, and then they get mad when they smell one.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
at the time that
From this reading THE SMOKE-HOUSE “I do not know what made the dog mad,” said Ganawa, when they had returned from the pool.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Or it may be that the dog smelled an Indian, although I do not know why a good Indian should have run away when the dog came.
any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading “Perhaps he smelled a bear or a wolf, or a moose came to the river to drink.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading If it had been a bear, I think the dog would have held him at bay and would have done much barking, and a young bear would have climbed a tree.
