Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

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

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

a member of a warlike group of Algonquians living in the northwestern plains

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

plural of “chapter” — a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

to certain extent or degree

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

be agreeable or acceptable to

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

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

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

at or to or toward the front

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

wear away by rubbing

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

any of various leafy plants or their leaves and stems eaten as vegetables

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

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

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

unpleasantly stern

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

the aggregate of past events

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

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

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

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

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

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

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

become part of; become a member of a group or organization

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

and nothing more

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

large or big relative to something else

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

rock that in its molten form (as magma) issues from volcanos; lava is what magma is called when it reaches the surface

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

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

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

plural of “ledge” — a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

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

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

having a small elevation above the ground or horizon or sea level

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

-ing form of “lurch” — walk as if unable to control one's movements

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

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

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

plural of “neck” — the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

above and across; more than

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

a person who requires medical care

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

plural of “pioneer” — someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

inflected form of “plod” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

a treeless grassy plain

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

lacking in magnitude or quantity

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

state of subjection to an owner or master or forced labor imposed as punishment

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

lacking or characterized by lack of ambition or initiative; lazy

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

bypass

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

plural of “slip” — a socially awkward or tactless act

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

in a stolid manner

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

plural of “stomach” — an enlarged and muscular saclike organ of the alimentary canal; the principal organ of digestion

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

carry out

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

brought from wildness into a domesticated state

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

-ing form of “tame” — correct by punishment or discipline

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

express in words

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

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

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

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

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

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

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

the swift release of a store of affective force

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

very small

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

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

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

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

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

(of hair) not combed

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

except if; if not

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

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

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

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

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

at the time that

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

in or at the place that

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

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

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

during the time that

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

which person or people

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

belonging to which person

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

in the company of; together with

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

a native or resident of Michigan

From this reading They were the pioneers whose lurching wagon first forded the singing Wolverine stream just where it greens the tiny valley and then slips between huge lava-rock ledges to join the larger stream.

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading There was a woman, low-browed, uncombed, harsh of voice and speech and nature, who drove the four oxen forward over lava rock and rough prairie and the scanty sage.

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

From this reading I might tell you a great deal about Marthy, who plodded stolidly across the desert and the low-lying hills along the Blackfoot; and of her weak-souled, shiftless husband whom she called Jase, when she did not call him worse.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.

fabric comprising a fitted part at the top of a garment

From this reading Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient servitude, should really begin this story.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading But to follow the trail they made would take several chapters which you certainly would skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and their hard-muscled bodies fit for the fray.