Chapter II · Chapter 2

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

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

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

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

having antlers

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

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

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

to a severe or serious degree

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

to strive with determination

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

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

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

the dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

the type genus of the Cervidae

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation

From this reading The sambur deer is one of the most distinguished of the deer tribe.

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

start firing a weapon

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

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

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

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

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

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

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

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

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

plural of “horn” — a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

any of several breeds of dog used for hunting typically having large drooping ears

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

plural of “hunter” — someone who hunts game

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

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

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

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

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

and nothing more

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

a rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

superlative of “large” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

the period during which something is functional (as between birth and death)

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

weight to be borne or conveyed

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

be successful; achieve a goal

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

used to form the superlative

From this reading The sambur deer is one of the most distinguished of the deer tribe.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

not any; not one

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

above and across; more than

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

get by special effort

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

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

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

a deer of southern Asia with antlers that have three tines

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

past form of “spare” — refrain from harming

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

an ungainly posture with arms and legs spread about

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

attend a dance or a party without a female companion

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

the act of suffocating (someone) by constricting the windpipe

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

plural of “struggle” — an energetic attempt to achieve something

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

of high or superior quality or performance

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

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

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

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

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

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

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

The passage at the back of the mouth.

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

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

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance

From this reading The dog Fritz had already leaped forth; and before the hunters could procure a torch and reach the spot, the huge hound had seized the quarry by the throat, and finished its struggles by strangling it to death.

a social division of (usually preliterate) people

From this reading The sambur deer is one of the most distinguished of the deer tribe.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

large North American deer with large much-branched antlers in the male

From this reading Although not equal in size to the American wapiti (_Cervus Canadensis_), he is much superior to the stag or red-deer of Europe.

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

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

in the company of; together with

From this reading They now dragged the carcass up to the light of the fire, and it was just as much as the three of them could manage--for the sambur deer is one of the largest animals of its kind, and the one that had fallen into their hands was a fine old buck, with a pair of immense antlered horns, of which no doubt in his lifetime he had been excessively proud.

people who are wounded

From this reading He might have spared his load, for the first had done the business; and the noise of kicking and sprawling among the dry leaves told that the deer was knocked over, and, if not killed, at least badly wounded.