adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
acknowledgedadjectiveUS /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒd/
recognized or made known or admitted
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
bandsnounUS /bændz/
plural of “band” — an unofficial association of people or groups
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And still the pioneers came, spreading deeper into the valleys, farther and wider over the plains.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
deeperadverbUS /ˈdiːpər/
comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading And still the pioneers came, spreading deeper into the valleys, farther and wider over the plains.
despiteprepositionUS /dɪˈspaɪt/
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
dominancenounUS /ˈdɑːmənəns/
superior development of one side of the body
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
Estacado
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
extendedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstendəd/
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
faradverbUS /fɑːr/
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
fartheradjectiveUS /ˈfɑːrðər/
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading And still the pioneers came, spreading deeper into the valleys, farther and wider over the plains.
fertileadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrtəl/
capable of reproducing
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
fivenounUS /faɪv/
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
Grande
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
hamletsnounUS /ˈhæmləts/
plural of “hamlet” — a community of people smaller than a village
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/
ten 10s
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
linenounUS /laɪn/
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
LlanonounUS /ˈlɑːnoʊ/
an extensive grassy and nearly treeless plain (especially in Latin America)
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
loneadjectiveUS /loʊn/
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
milesnounUS /maɪlz/
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
neighborsnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/
plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
northnounUS /nɔːrθ/
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
outlawnounUS /ˈaʊtlɔː/
someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading And still the pioneers came, spreading deeper into the valleys, farther and wider over the plains.
Pecosnoun
a tributary of the Rio Grande that flows southeastward from New Mexico through western Texas
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
pioneersnounUS /ˌpaɪəˈnɪrz/
plural of “pioneer” — someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
plainsnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land
From this reading And still the pioneers came, spreading deeper into the valleys, farther and wider over the plains.
pushedverbUS /pʊʃt/
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
railroadnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊd/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
ranchernounUS /ˈræntʃər/
a person who owns or operates a ranch
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
regionnounUS /ˈriːdʒən/
the extended spatial location of something
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
RionounUS /ˈriːoʊ/
the former capital and 2nd largest city of Brazil; chief Brazilian port; famous as a tourist attraction
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
RivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
sandsnounUS /sændz/
the region of the shore of a lake or sea or ocean
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/
continuously varying
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
southnounUS /saʊθ/
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
spreadverbUS /spred/
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
spreadingnounUS /ˈspredɪŋ/
process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space
From this reading And still the pioneers came, spreading deeper into the valleys, farther and wider over the plains.
steadilyadverbUS /ˈstedəli/
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
steelnounUS /stiːl/
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading And still the pioneers came, spreading deeper into the valleys, farther and wider over the plains.
TexasnounUS /ˈteksəs/
the second largest state; located in southwestern United States on the Gulf of Mexico
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
undeviatingadjective
going directly ahead from one point to another without veering or turning aside
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
UnsettledadjectiveUS /ənˈsetəld/
still in doubt
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
valleysnounUS /ˈvæliz/
plural of “valley” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading First had come the lone rancher; then his neighbors in near and far valleys; then the hamlets; at last the railroad and the towns.
vastadjectiveUS /væst/
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
villagesnounUS /ˈvɪlədʒəz/
plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading A railroad marked an undeviating course across five hundred miles of this country, and the only villages and towns lay on or near this line of steel.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
WestnounUS /west/
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
westernadjectiveUS /ˈwestərn/
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading Unsettled as was this western Texas, and despite the acknowledged dominance of the outlaw bands, the pioneers pushed steadily into it.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
wideradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪdər/
comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading And still the pioneers came, spreading deeper into the valleys, farther and wider over the plains.
wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading West of the Pecos River Texas extended a vast wild region, barren in the north where the Llano Estacado spread its shifting sands, fertile in the south along the Rio Grande.
