used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
anew
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
(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 "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
clingingverbUS /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
cowboysnounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/
plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
characterized by great determination
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
made afraid
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
hoofsnounUS /hʊfs/
plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
Norton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
on-rushing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
quietedverbUS /ˈkwaɪətɪd/
past form of “quiet” — become quiet or quieter
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
done under pressure
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
steersnounUS /stɪrz/
plural of “steer” — an indication of potential opportunity
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
ThunderingadjectiveUS /ˈθʌndərɪŋ/
sounding like thunder
From this reading IN THE OPEN Thundering over the ground, the frightened cattle rushed on.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "I can't understand what happened!" exclaimed Mr. Norton, as he rode on.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
at the time that
From this reading "Those steers had all quieted down, when all of a sudden they started up again.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading After them came the cowboys, determined, at whatever cost, to turn the steers away from the little hill on which stood the four girls, clinging together, and in fear of their lives.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading For certainly it would be the end of life to fall beneath the hoofs of those on-rushing beasts.
