Chapter II · Chapter 2

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

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

the quality of having a superior or more favorable position

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

serving or used in place of another

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

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

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

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

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

an orderly arrangement

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

an occurrence of something

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

inflected form of “corral” — enclose in a corral

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

traveling across

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

pull, as against a resistance

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

plural of “emigrant” — someone who leaves one country to settle in another

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

the act of escaping physically

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

destroyed or killed

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

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

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

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

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

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

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

the force of workers available

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

not any; not one

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

a sudden and severe onset of trouble

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

a judge of a probate court

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

plural of “prairie” — a treeless grassy plain

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

the characteristic of doing things without delay

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

protected from danger or bad weather

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

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

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

(usually followed by “of”) pointing out or revealing clearly

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

in a resolute manner

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

consent reluctantly

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

something clearly established

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

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

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

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

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

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

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

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

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

create by training and teaching

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

plural of “vehicle” — a conveyance that transports people or objects

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

From this reading In this case the victim appears to have no hope of escape--no alternative but to succumb.

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

From this reading That the men sheltered behind the waggons have not "gone under" at the first onslaught is significative of their character.

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

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Of a surety they are not common emigrants, crossing the prairies on their way to a new home.

during the time that

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.

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

From this reading And had they been but ordinary emigrants they would not have stood so stoutly on the defence, and shown such an array of dead enemies around them.

inclined to yield to argument or influence or control

From this reading Had they been so, they could not have "corralled" their unwieldy vehicles with such promptitude; for they had started from their night camp, and the attack was made while the train was in motion--advantage being taken of their slow drag through the soft, yielding sand.