Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

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

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a mountain

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

placed in a grave

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

rush down in big quantities, like a cascade

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

a special group delegated to consider some matter

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

past form of “count” — determine the number or amount of

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

the occurrence of a change for the worse

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

recognizable; marked

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

one or the other of two

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

past form of “excavate” — recover through digging

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

promote over another

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

(Islam) the will of Allah

From this reading KISMET.

plural of “laborer” — someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

small in range or scope

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

the force of workers available

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

not any; not one

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

the middle of the day

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

denoting or characteristic of countries of the Far East

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

plural of “pitch” — the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

to break and turn over earth especially with a plow

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

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

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

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

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

being ten more than fifty

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

an elevated geological formation

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

past form of “stall” — postpone doing what one should be doing

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

plural of “suit” — a set of garments (usually including a jacket and trousers or skirt) for outerwear all of the same fabric and color

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

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

From this reading In either solution, the fact that counted was that no avalanche had occurred at this point before; mountain men had regarded it as absolutely safe.

the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

a large number or amount

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

create by training and teaching

From this reading At noon that day, a rumor reached the stalled train that a slide at the front had struck one of the rotaries.

move through by or as by digging

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Laborers, at their own peril, had excavated the crew, but the plow was out of commission, and the track was buried sixty feet under fresh tons of snow and rock and fallen timber.

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

in or at the place that

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

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

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

which person or people

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."

in the company of; together with

From this reading AN ACT OF GOD Afterwards, some who compared the slope where the Oriental Limited had stood, with the terrible pitches along the lower switchback, said: "It was Fate;" and the defense in the damage suits against the Great Northern, which were decided in favor of the company, called that catastrophe at Cascade tunnel "An Act of God."