Chapter IV · Chapter 4

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

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

later than; following

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

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

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

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

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

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

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

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

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

of short duration or distance

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

a hidden storage space (for money or provisions or weapons)

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

taking care or paying attention

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

plural of “cedar” — any of numerous trees of the family Cupressaceae that resemble cedars

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

intentionally conceived

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

a natural object that covers or envelops

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

the cognitive process of reaching a decision

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

the act of making up your mind about something

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

one or the other of two

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

spoken with emphasis

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

past form of “enumerate” — specify individually

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

set up or found

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

an estimate based on little or no information

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

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

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

indecision in speech or action

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

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

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

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

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

a fabric woven with lisle thread

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

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

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

discover the location of; determine the place of; find by searching or examining

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

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

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

not any; not one

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

a book with blank pages for recording notes or memoranda

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

causing physical or psychological pain

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

plural of “quantity” — how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

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

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

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

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

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

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

in or at that place or location

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

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

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

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

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

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

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

in an uneventful manner

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Lisle had no hesitation in deciding upon the latter, and Jake was emphatic in his brief assurance on the point.

precisely as stated

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.

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

From this reading A PAINFUL DECISION Two days passed uneventfully, though Nasmyth was conscious of a growing uneasiness during them; and then one evening they landed to search another beach.

land bordering a body of water

From this reading They had less difficulty here, for small cedars and birches crept down to the waterside and Jake found an ax-blaze on one.

plural of “weight” — the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity

From this reading On removing the covering stones, they found very little beneath them, but every object was taken out and Lisle, measuring quantities and guessing weights, carefully enumerated each in his notebook.

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

From this reading After that, it was easy to locate the cache, and there were signs that it had been either very roughly made, or afterward opened and reclosed in careless haste.