Chapter IX · Chapter 9

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

showing who or what does the action

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

past form of “camp” — live in or as if in a tent

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

prepare a hot meal

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

possessive form of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

not still wet

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

possessive form of “duck” — small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Finally Leonard negatived this idea.

start firing a weapon

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Finally Leonard negatived this idea.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)

From this reading Finally Leonard negatived this idea.

having abundant light or illumination

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Finally Leonard negatived this idea.

a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

move upward

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “It is dangerous,” he said, “for fires can be seen from afar.”

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

in or at that place or location

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Finally Leonard negatived this idea.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

plural of “traveller” — a person who changes location

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

a black garment (dress) worn by a widow as a sign of mourning

From this reading They had caught two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by.

of very poor quality or condition

From this reading So they made a wretched meal off a little dried meat and some raw duck’s eggs.

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading THE YELLOW DEVIL’S NEST Sundown came, and, as on the previous night, the three travellers camped upon an island waiting for the moon to rise.