AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
additionnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/
a component that is added to something to improve it
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
altogetheradverbUS /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
broadadjectiveUS /brɔːd/
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
BuckverbUS /bʌk/
to strive with determination
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
chancenounUS /tʃæns/
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading A thought of fighting--of some desperate chance he had once taken, perhaps.
clenchverbUS /klentʃ/
hold in a tight grasp
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
colouradjectiveUS /ˈkʌlər/
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
DanielsnounUS /ˈdænjəlz/
plural of “daniel” — (Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
desperateadjectiveUS /ˈdesprɪt/
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading A thought of fighting--of some desperate chance he had once taken, perhaps.
drainedadjectiveUS /dreɪnd/
emptied or exhausted of (as by drawing off e.g. water or other liquid)
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
fightingnounUS /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading A thought of fighting--of some desperate chance he had once taken, perhaps.
FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A thought of fighting--of some desperate chance he had once taken, perhaps.
handsnounUS /hændz/
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
holsternounUS /ˈhoʊlstər/
a sheath (usually leather) for carrying a handgun
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
horsenounUS /hɔːrs/
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
inspirationnounUS /ˌɪnspərˈeɪʃən/
arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
liftsnounUS /lɪfts/
plural of “lift” — the act of giving temporary assistance
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
loosenedadjectiveUS /ˈluːsənd/
straightened out
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
makesnounUS /meɪks/
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
MUSICnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
NICKverbUS /nɪk/
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading A thought of fighting--of some desperate chance he had once taken, perhaps.
pacenounUS /peɪs/
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/
by chance
From this reading A thought of fighting--of some desperate chance he had once taken, perhaps.
pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
quickensverbUS /ˈkwɪkənz/
third-person singular of “quicken” — move faster
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
revolvernounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvər/
a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading It could not have been an altogether pleasant inspiration, for it drained the colour from his face and made him clench his broad hands; and next he loosened his revolver in its holster.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A thought of fighting--of some desperate chance he had once taken, perhaps.
spurnounUS /spɜːr/
a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
steppedverbUS /stept/
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
subtleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌtəl/
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
SuchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading A thought of fighting--of some desperate chance he had once taken, perhaps.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading MUSIC FOR OLD NICK A thought is like a spur.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
tossverbUS /tɔːs/
throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
verandanounUS /vərˈændə/
a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
From this reading Such a thought came to Buck Daniels as he stepped again on the veranda of the hotel.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It lifts the head of a man as the spur makes the horse toss his; and it quickens the pace with a subtle addition of strength.
