Chapter IV · The Luck of a Long Shot

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

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

-ing form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

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

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

installation from which a military force initiates operations

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

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

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading Sam climbed the fence, and plunged into the thickets to the right.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

to a great extent or degree

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

provide with a covering or cause to be covered

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

having an (artificial) crown on a tooth

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

plural of “difficulty” — an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

enclose with a fence

From this reading Sam climbed the fence, and plunged into the thickets to the right.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

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

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

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

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

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

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

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

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Sam climbed the fence, and plunged into the thickets to the right.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

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

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

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 On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

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

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

plural of “novice” — someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

plural of “oak” — the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

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

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading Sam climbed the fence, and plunged into the thickets to the right.

with speed

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

precisely, exactly

From this reading Sam climbed the fence, and plunged into the thickets to the right.

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading Sam climbed the fence, and plunged into the thickets to the right.

sparsely covered with stunted trees or vegetation and underbrush

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

not in physical motion

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

in a confused mass

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

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

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

plural of “thicket” — a dense growth of bushes

From this reading Sam climbed the fence, and plunged into the thickets to the right.

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

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

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

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

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

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

From this reading On many of the trees, especially the oaks, dead leaves still were thick, affording cover for game and adding considerably to the difficulties of hunting novices.

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

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading At the base of the hill crowned by the Marlow house the woods came close to the road.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading It was his intention to work around the base of the hill, and thus reach the old orchard, of which Lon Gates had spoken; but he quickly discovered that the plan was more easily made than carried out.

a late time of life

From this reading Years before the pines had been cut off, and in their place had come in a second growth of hard wood, scrubby, tangled and dense.