used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
additionaladjectiveUS /əˈdɪʃənəl/
further or added
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
(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 The thing that worried them most of all was the possible theft of their mounts.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
for the reason that
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
carcassnounUS /ˈkɑːrkəs/
the dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
an occurrence of something
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
plural of “chance” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
cookingnounUS /ˈkʊkɪŋ/
the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
someone who is a detective
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
elknounUS /elk/
large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male; called “elk” in Europe and “moose” in North America
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
opinion or judgment
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
start firing a weapon
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
half-breednoun
an offensive term for an offspring of parents of different racial group (especially of Caucasian and American Indian ancestry)
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
not accessible to view
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
incautiousadjective
lacking in caution
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
locationnounUS /loʊˈkeɪʃən/
a point or extent in space
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The thing that worried them most of all was the possible theft of their mounts.
mountsnounUS /maʊnts/
plural of “mount” — a lightweight horse kept for riding only
From this reading The thing that worried them most of all was the possible theft of their mounts.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
occurverbUS /əˈkɜːr/
come to pass
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
and nothing more
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
ordinarilyadverbUS /ˌɔːrdəˈnerəli/
under normal conditions
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
packhorsenoun
a workhorse used as a pack animal
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
the local environment
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading The thing that worried them most of all was the possible theft of their mounts.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
Roger
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
put a saddle on
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
scouringnounUS /ˈskaʊərɪŋ/
moving over territory to search for something
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
theftnounUS /θeft/
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading The thing that worried them most of all was the possible theft of their mounts.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
a special situation
From this reading The thing that worried them most of all was the possible theft of their mounts.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
a source of difficulty
From this reading If they were incautious about building the cooking fire, his sharp eyes would be sure to discover their location; and, should that occur, they could expect trouble.
vastlyadverbUS /ˈvæstli/
to an exceedingly great extent or degree
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
vindictiveadjectiveUS /vɪnˈdɪktɪv/
disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The thing that worried them most of all was the possible theft of their mounts.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
in or at the place that
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading That the packhorse had been stolen was not a matter of such importance, for they could get on without an additional animal; but in regard to their saddle horses the case was vastly different.
worriedadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrid/
afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief
From this reading The thing that worried them most of all was the possible theft of their mounts.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Dick knew that they must be more than ordinarily careful where they spent the night, because the chances were the vindictive half-breed would be scouring the country looking for signs of them.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading THE HIDDEN CAMP THERE remained only an hour or so of daylight after Roger had secured the best parts of the carcass of the young elk, and fastened the bundle of fresh meat to his saddle.
