used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
placed in a grave
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
clutchnounUS /klʌtʃ/
the act of grasping
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
coatsnounUS /koʊts/
plural of “coat” — an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
corralverbUS /kərˈæl/
enclose in a corral
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
Costejo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
cowboysnounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/
plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
dismounted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
drippingnounUS /ˈdrɪpɪŋ/
a liquid (as water) that flows in drops (as from the eaves of house)
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
exhaustionnounUS /ɪɡˈzɔːstʃən/
extreme fatigue
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
fannedadjectiveUS /fænd/
especially spread in a fan shape
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
gearnounUS /ɡɪr/
a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
glossyadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɔːsi/
based on pretense; deceptively pleasing
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
hackamorenoun
rope or canvas headgear for a horse, with a rope for leading
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
head-stall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
not accessible to view
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
KTnoun
the unit of measurement for the proportion of gold in an alloy; 18-karat gold is 75% gold; 24-karat gold is pure gold
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
mantlenounUS /ˈmæntəl/
the cloak as a symbol of authority
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
not in physical motion
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
northernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
ParkernounUS /ˈpɑːrkər/
United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
peaksnounUS /piːks/
plural of “peak” — the most extreme possible amount or value
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
poplars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
one of four equal parts
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
with speed
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
separated in relationship by a given degree of descent
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
ridersnounUS /ˈraɪdərz/
plural of “rider” — a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
put a saddle on
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
the act of searching for something
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
shiftverbUS /ʃɪft/
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/
characterized by good substantial quality
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
stickyadjectiveUS /ˈstɪki/
having the sticky properties of an adhesive
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Not a breath of air fanned the poplars, straight and motionless, in front of the house.
sullenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌlən/
showing a brooding ill humor
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
sundownnounUS /ˈsʌndaʊn/
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
sweatnounUS /swet/
salty fluid secreted by sweat glands
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
swumverbUS /swʌm/
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
torturingadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːrtʃərɪŋ/
extremely painful
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
UNUSEDadjectiveUS /əˈnjuːzd/
not yet used or soiled
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
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 sun buried itself in a solid wall of black that rose above the Costejo peaks, hidden now in the shadow of the coming storm.
wearilyadverbUS /ˈwerəli/
in a weary manner
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
at the time that
From this reading THE UNUSED PLATE At sundown, when Parker and the cowboys rode in from the northern hills, the Quarter Circle KT lay under a mantle of sullen, torturing heat.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading At the corral the animals wearily tossed their heads, low hung with exhaustion, seeking to shift the sticky clutch of head-stall or hackamore, while their riders dismounted and quickly removed saddle and riding gear.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The horses were dripping with sweat--their coats as glossy and wet as if they had swum the river.
