used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
plural of “age” — how long something has existed
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
from appearances alone
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
in a state of sleep
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
CANOEnounUS /kəˈnuː/
small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
continuousadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəs/
continuing in time or space without interruption
From this reading The sweep of the rain maintained a continuous driving sound.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading The sweep of the rain maintained a continuous driving sound.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
opinion or judgment
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
to a considerable degree
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
HudsonnounUS /ˈhʌdsən/
a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
INTELLIGENTadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtelədʒənt/
having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
immediately past
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
Lennox
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
maintainedadjectiveUS /meɪnˈteɪnd/
kept in good condition
From this reading The sweep of the rain maintained a continuous driving sound.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
not any; not one
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
OnondaganounUS /ˌɑːnənˈdɔːɡə/
a member of the Iroquoian people formerly living between Lake Champlain and the Saint Lawrence River
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
PacificnounUS /pəˈsɪfɪk/
the largest ocean in the world
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
pinverbUS /pɪn/
to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The sweep of the rain maintained a continuous driving sound.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
shelfnounUS /ʃelf/
A flat horizontal plane used to hold books or scrolls in a library.
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
sleepersnounUS /ˈsliːpərz/
plural of “sleeper” — a rester who is sleeping
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The sweep of the rain maintained a continuous driving sound.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
sweepverbUS /swiːp/
sweep across or over
From this reading The sweep of the rain maintained a continuous driving sound.
Tayoga
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
not known
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
at the time that
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hours while they slept.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
(politics) a state of disfavor
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
WilletnounUS /ˈwɪlɪt/
large North American shorebird of eastern and Gulf Coasts
From this reading THE INTELLIGENT CANOE Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga was the last to close his eyes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness that stretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them.
