adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
abatingverbUS /əˈbeɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “abate” — make less active or intense
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading He was compelled to do all his talking with the Owl who, however, was not at all taciturn.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was compelled to do all his talking with the Owl who, however, was not at all taciturn.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
BEFOREprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
captivenounUS /ˈkæptɪv/
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
carenounUS /ker/
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
compelledverbUS /kəmˈpeld/
inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something
From this reading He was compelled to do all his talking with the Owl who, however, was not at all taciturn.
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
descendedverbUS /dɪˈsendəd/
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
dialectnounUS /ˈdaɪəlekt/
the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
discardedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɑːrdɪd/
thrown away
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He was compelled to do all his talking with the Owl who, however, was not at all taciturn.
EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
enteringnounUS /ˈentərɪŋ/
a movement into or inward
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/
prudent
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading He was compelled to do all his talking with the Owl who, however, was not at all taciturn.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
IndiansnounUS /ˈɪndiənz/
plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
knewverbUS /nuː/
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
LakesnounUS /leɪks/
plural of “lake” — a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
MONTCALM
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
northwestnounUS /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/
the northwestern region of the United States
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
OwlnounUS /aʊl/
nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
regionnounUS /ˈriːdʒən/
the extended spatial location of something
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
RobertnounUS /ˈrɑːbərt/
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
severitynounUS /sɪˈverɪti/
used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
snownounUS /snoʊ/
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
snowshoesnounUS /ˈsnoʊʃuːz/
plural of “snowshoe” — a device to help you walk on deep snow; a lightweight frame shaped like a racquet is strengthened with cross pieces and contains a network of thongs; one is worn on each foot
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
speakverbUS /spiːk/
express in speech
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
taciturnadjectiveUS /ˈtæsɪtɜːrn/
habitually reserved and uncommunicative
From this reading He was compelled to do all his talking with the Owl who, however, was not at all taciturn.
talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading He was compelled to do all his talking with the Owl who, however, was not at all taciturn.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
tooadverbUS /tuː/
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
treatedadjectiveUS /ˈtriːtɪd/
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
tribenounUS /traɪb/
a social division of (usually preliterate) people
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
understoodadjectiveUS /ˌʌndərˈstʊd/
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
usenounUS /juːs/
the act of using
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
utmostadjectiveUS /ˈʌtmoʊst/
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
warriorsnounUS /ˈwɔːriərz/
plural of “warrior” — someone engaged in or experienced in warfare
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
weathernounUS /ˈweðər/
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Robert was still treated well, though guarded with the utmost care.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They, too, had been on snowshoes, but now they discarded them, since they were entering a region in which little snow had fallen, the severity of the weather abating greatly.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading The Indians, who seemed to be from some tribe about the Great Lakes, did not speak any dialect he knew, and, if they understood English, they did not use it.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading BEFORE MONTCALM The Owl, with his warriors and captive, descended in time into the low country in the northwest.
