Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

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

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

an alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron and platinum all metals dissolve in mercury and chemists refer to the resulting mercury mixtures as amalgams

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

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

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

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

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

the capacity to attract and hold something

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

plural of “border” — a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

the lower side of anything

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

a small fragment of something broken off from the whole

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

past form of “distend” — become wider

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

not still wet

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

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

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

the boundary of a surface

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

an area in hostile territory that has been captured and is held awaiting further troops and supplies

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

set up or found

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

affixed or as if affixed with glue or paste

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

the act of departing

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

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

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

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

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

an opening into or through something

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

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

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

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

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

in order that something should not happen

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

a caustic substance produced by heating limestone

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

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

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

attach a tag or label to

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

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

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

an alcoholic drink taken at bedtime; often alcoholic

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

not any; not one

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

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

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

on one occasion

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

especially a light saddle horse for a woman

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

a course of conduct

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

fraught with danger

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

apply a heavy coat to

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

a companion at play

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

in the near future

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

past form of “prick” — make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

plural of “ravine” — a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.

plural of “rider” — a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

except for; apart from

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

cause to go somewhere

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

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

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

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

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

not moving or operating freely

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

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

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

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

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

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

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading An amalgam of lime, or binding stuff of some sort, had glued the clay of the ravines together, and set it stiff and fast like dried plaster.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

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

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

precisely as stated

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

in a wary manner

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

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

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

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

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

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

From this reading THE EARTH-DWELLERS OF NO MAN'S LAND Then presently we came to a strange place, the like of which I have never seen, save here on the borders of the Mark and the northern Wendish lands.

the act of rotating in a circle or spiral

From this reading So, as we went up the narrow, perilous path, our horses had to tread very warily lest, going too near the edge, they should chip off enough of the foothold to send themselves and their riders whirling neck-over-toes to the bottom.

which person or people

From this reading All at once the Little Playmate, who was riding immediately before me, screamed out sharp and shrill, and I hastened up to her, thinking she had fallen upon a misfortune.

in the company of; together with

From this reading I found her palfrey with ears pricked and distended nostril, gazing at a head in a red nightcap which was set out of a hole in the red clay.