used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
babelnounUS /ˈbæbəl/
(Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
the act of breaking something
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading This killin’ business has got t’ stop.”
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
cowpunchernoun
a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading This killin’ business has got t’ stop.”
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This killin’ business has got t’ stop.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m town marshal.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
and nothing more
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
killin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This killin’ business has got t’ stop.”
leanverbUS /liːn/
to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
marshalverbUS /ˈmɑːrʃəl/
place in proper rank
From this reading “I’m town marshal.
marshal'snounUS /ˈmɑːrʃəlz/
possessive form of “marshal” — a law officer having duties similar to those of a sheriff in carrying out the judgments of a court of law
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
SpeernounUS /spɪr/
German Nazi architect who worked for Hitler (1905-1981)
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading This killin’ business has got t’ stop.”
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine
From this reading This killin’ business has got t’ stop.”
carry out
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This killin’ business has got t’ stop.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading “I’m town marshal.
Tupper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
uprose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading They crowded close, a little ring of curious faces, about me and the dead man on the floor, and as a babel of talk uprose a tall, lean man pushed his way into the circle, Captain Speer of the _Moon_ at his heels.
which person or people
From this reading He took me by the arm, and as he did so the cowpuncher who had looked down at Tupper stepped in between us, breaking the marshal’s hold.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I guess I’ll have to take you in just for luck,” the stranger said to me.
