used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
in the past
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
annualadjectiveUS /ˈænjuːəl/
completing its life cycle within a year
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
ANTIOCHnounUS /ˈæntiɑːk/
a town in southern Turkey; ancient commercial center and capital of Syria; an early center of Christianity
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
BarrowsnounUS /ˈbæroʊz/
plural of “barrow” — the quantity that a barrow will hold
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
burned-outadjective
exhausted as a result of longtime stress
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
camp-fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
conflagrationnounUS /ˌkɑːnfləˈɡreɪʃən/
a very intense and uncontrolled fire
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
darkenedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənd/
(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
droughtnounUS /draʊt/
a shortage of rainfall
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
durationnounUS /ˈdʊˈreɪʃən/
the period of time during which something continues
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
embersnounUS /ˈembərz/
plural of “ember” — a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
destroyed or killed
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
Hon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
hunter'snounUS /ˈhʌntərz/
possessive form of “hunter” — someone who hunts game
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
indifferentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdɪfrənt/
marked by a lack of interest
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
resulting from one's intentions
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
Jeb
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
lickingnounUS /ˈlɪkɪŋ/
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
for more time
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
in motion
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
and nothing more
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
optimismnounUS /ˈɑːptəmɪzəm/
the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
recurrencenounUS /rɪˈkɜːrəns/
happening again (especially at regular intervals)
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
settlersnounUS /ˈsetlərz/
plural of “settler” — a person who settles in a new colony or moves into new country
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
straggleverbUS /ˈstræɡəl/
wander from a direct or straight course
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
timbernounUS /ˈtɪmbər/
the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
tindernounUS /ˈtɪndər/
material for starting a fire
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading But this summer the drought had been of longer duration than usual.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
voicingnounUS /ˈvɔɪsɪŋ/
the act of adjusting an organ pipe (or wind instrument) so that it conforms to the standards of tone and pitch and color
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
waddingnoun
any material used especially to protect something
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ANTIOCH had grown indifferent to forest fires, They were of almost annual recurrence, and the town had come to expect them each fall.
at the time that
From this reading It was only when the burned-out settlers from the north began to straggle in that Antioch awoke to a proper sense of its danger.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The woods were like tinder, and the inevitable wadding from some careless hunter's gun, or the scattered embers from some camp-fire far up in the northern part of the State, had started a conflagration that was licking up miles of timber and moving steadily south behind a vast curtain of smoke that darkened half the State.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As the Hon. Jeb Barrows remarked, with cheerful optimism, voicing a popular belief, if it was intended Antioch should go that way it would have gone long ago.
