Chapter I

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

lighted up by or as by fire or flame

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

in an enjoyable manner

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

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

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

covered with water

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

dearly loved

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

a mountain or tall hill

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

plural of “bloom” — the organic process of bearing flowers

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

plural of “cherry” — wood of any of various cherry trees especially the black cherry

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

a plant of the genus Trifolium

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

intentionally conceived

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

placed crosswise

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

the first light of day

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

away from the source or with the current

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

moving toward the east

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

a distinctive odor that is pleasant

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

coins made of gold

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

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

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

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

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

become covered with mist

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

propel with a paddle

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

plural of “pebble” — a small smooth rounded rock

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

Eurasian perennial mint have small lilac-blue flowers and ovate leaves; yields an aromatic oil

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

a light shade of red

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

A distinctive smell or aroma.

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

plural of “scent” — a distinctive odor that is pleasant

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

an optical instrument for aiding the eye in aiming, as on a firearm or surveying instrument

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

being a smooth continuous motion

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

having a sharp inclination

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

not in physical motion

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

take away possessions from someone

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

comparative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading He sniffed the faint fragrance of running water, the sweeter breath of clover blooms, the sharper scent of pennyroyal.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

a dense growth of bushes

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

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

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

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

From this reading Ben was as agreeably conscious of the scents of the place and hour as of the beloved sights and sounds.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

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

From this reading Eastward, downstream, sky and hills and water were awash and afire with the pink and gold and burnished silver of the new day.

plural of “willow” — any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

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

From this reading Thin mist still crawled in wisps on the sliding surface of the river.

in the company of; together with

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

a shed for storing firewood or garden tools

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading A QUEER FISH Young Ben O’Dell emerged from the woodshed into the dew and the dawning day with a paddle in his hand, crossed a strip of orchard, passed through a thicket of alders and choke cherries and between two great willows and descended a steep bank to a beach of sand and pebbles.