Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

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

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

in addition

From this reading A great many of his blows had reached their mark also.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

terminate

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

past form of “circle” — travel around something

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

past form of “clamber” — climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

difficult to describe

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

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

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

plural of “fist” — a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

a young female

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading A great many of his blows had reached their mark also.

distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

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

From this reading Masten's science had served him well.

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

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

be the source of pain

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

attach a tag or label to

From this reading A great many of his blows had reached their mark also.

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

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

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

From this reading Masten's science had served him well.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

plural of “opening” — an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

a range horse of the western United States

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

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

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading A great many of his blows had reached their mark also.

possessive form of “ruth” — United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

a particular branch of scientific knowledge

From this reading Masten's science had served him well.

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function

From this reading Masten's science had served him well.

plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

an elevated geological formation

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

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

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

not in physical motion

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

the rays of the sun

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

a reference point to shoot at

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading He had been able, so far, to evade many of Randerson's heavy blows, but some of them had landed.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

forceful exertion

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

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 FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

(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 Masten's science had served him well.

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

From this reading THE FIGHT At about the time that Chavis and Kester had discovered Ruth's pony and had clambered up the slope in search of the girl, the two figures on the timber-fringed level near the break in the canyon wall were making grotesque shadows as they danced about in the dying sunlight.

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

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.

in the company of; together with

From this reading They had hurt, too, and had taken some of the vigor out of their target, though Masten was still elusive as he circled, with feet that dragged a little, feinting and probing for openings through which he might drive his fists.