used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
arduousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːrdʒuːəs/
characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The progress the men made was rather by a succession of leaps than by straight running.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
diminishedadjectiveUS /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/
impaired by diminution
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
remove the dust from
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
eatsnounUS /iːts/
informal terms for a meal
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
divisible by two
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
fearfullyadverb
in fear
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
the act of departing
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
knee-deepadjective
coming only to the ankle or knee
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
leapsnounUS /liːps/
plural of “leap” — a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading The progress the men made was rather by a succession of leaps than by straight running.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The progress the men made was rather by a succession of leaps than by straight running.
engage in
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
the force of workers available
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
become covered with mist
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading The progress the men made was rather by a succession of leaps than by straight running.
on the contrary
From this reading The progress the men made was rather by a succession of leaps than by straight running.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading The progress the men made was rather by a succession of leaps than by straight running.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/
continuously varying
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
move hurridly
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
spikyadjectiveUS /ˈspaɪki/
having or as if having especially high-pitched spots
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
successive (without a break)
From this reading The progress the men made was rather by a succession of leaps than by straight running.
caught or fixed
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
successionnounUS /səkˈseʃən/
a following of one thing after another in time
From this reading The progress the men made was rather by a succession of leaps than by straight running.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
ToughadjectiveUS /tʌf/
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading Tough, spiky bushes covered the plain to the height of a man’s knee but they seemed less to grow out of the deep, shifting dust, than to be stuck into it.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
hard to endure
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
unequaladjectiveUS /əˈniːkwəl/
poorly balanced or matched in quantity or value or measure
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the distance that was between the two men neither increased nor diminished; it became terribly hot, and the going was arduous.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
a Caucasian
From this reading THE TRAIL OF ONE Fear and hate and love eats up the miles even as the sun eats up the white mist of the morning.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was like trying to make speed over an unequal beach covered with knee-deep water, and it told upon them fearfully.
