Chapter XXIII

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

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

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

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

plural of “attacker” — someone who attacks

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

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

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

positioned so as to be ready for confrontation or danger

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

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

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

an occurrence of something

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

pecuniary reimbursement to the winning party for the expenses of litigation

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

plural of “danger” — the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

characterized by great determination

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

someone who is a detective

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

the act of discovering something

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

the act of escaping physically

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

marked by or showing hopelessness

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

highest in quality

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

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

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

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

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

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

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

possessive form of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

plural of “knife” — edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

the force of workers available

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

and nothing more

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

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

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

go across or through

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

plural of “pistol” — a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

mercilessness characterized by a lack of pity

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

except for; apart from

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

characterized by or performed with much energy or force

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

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

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

in or at that place or location

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

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

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

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

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

work hard

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

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

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

precisely as stated

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

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

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

at the time that

From this reading PRISONERS WHEN Dick Bracknell had led the way from the cabin he knew that he was leading a forlorn hope.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

an old and formal word for “while”

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading But there were dangers before as well as behind, and the wilderness of the North was itself the greatest danger.

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading All this he knew, but braced himself for the task before him, determined at all costs to save the two girls and to win Joy’s respect if that was at all possible.

in the company of; together with

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading They had little food, he himself was a very sick man, ill-fitted for the strenuous toil which the situation called for, and in the woods wild beasts and wild men might lurk, against whom, armed merely with pistols and hunting knives, they would be almost helpless.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It was possible that many hours would pass before the men in the camp discovered their flight; whilst on the other hand the discovery might be made immediately and, in that case, as the ruthlessness of the attackers had shown, there was little hope of escape.