used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
animatedadjectiveUS /ˈænəmeɪtɪd/
having life or vigor or spirit
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
react verbally
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "Have we bagged any game?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
baggedverbUS /bæɡd/
inflected form of “bag” — capture or kill, as in hunting
From this reading "Have we bagged any game?"
an unofficial association of people or groups
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
betokened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
of short duration or distance
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
echoesnounUS /ˈekoʊz/
plural of “echo” — the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
expectantadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektənt/
marked by eager anticipation
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
enclose with a fence
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading "Have we bagged any game?"
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
guardsnounUS /ɡɑːrdz/
plural of “guard” — a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Have we bagged any game?"
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
hoofsnounUS /hʊfs/
plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
horsemannounUS /ˈhɔːrsmən/
a man skilled in equitation
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
immediately past
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
leader'snounUS /ˈliːdərz/
possessive form of “leader” — a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
lurkingverbUS /ˈlɜːrkɪŋ/
-ing form of “lurk” — lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
the act of departing politely
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
with speed
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
raidersnounUS /ˈreɪdərz/
plural of “raider” — someone who takes spoils or plunder (as in war)
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
rapidadjectiveUS /ˈræpəd/
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
retreatingverbUS /riˈtriːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “retreat” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/
thrown together in a disorderly fashion
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
sheriffnounUS /ˈʃerəf/
the principal law-enforcement officer in a county
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
tarried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
volleynounUS /ˈvɑːli/
rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The lurking shadows along the stone wall suddenly grew into animated forms, and the silence was broken by excited speech.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Have we bagged any game?"
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The raiders faded as quickly into the night as they had come, while the faint echoes of retreating hoofs betokened a rapid flight of the band toward the hill country.
which person or people
From this reading The guards hastily scrambled over the rock fence after a parting volley had been sent after the last retreating horseman, who had tarried a brief while in his retreat, and each guard was eager to find an answer to the leader's question.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "One man fell or dropped from his horse, I'll swear to that," the sheriff made reply, looking along the gloom of the road with expectant eyes.
