used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
(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 Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE ENEMY APPEARS.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
AuroranounUS /ərˈɔːrə/
the first light of day
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
cañon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
DroppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
dumpverbUS /dʌmp/
throw away as refuse
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
dusknounUS /dʌsk/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
an opposing military force
From this reading THE ENEMY APPEARS.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
fordnounUS /fɔːrd/
United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
a long fixed look
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
a quick look
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
heapedverbUS /hiːpt/
past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
horsebacknounUS /ˈhɔːrsbæk/
the back of a horse
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
Len
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
the force of workers available
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
and nothing more
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
a particular point in time
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
and nothing more
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
reappearverbUS /ˌriːəˈpɪr/
appear again
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
made known or told about; especially presented in a formal account
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
cut with a saw
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
shovelnounUS /ˈʃʌvəl/
a hand tool for lifting loose material; consists of a curved container or scoop and a handle
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ENEMY APPEARS.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
tunnelverbUS /ˈtʌnəl/
move through by or as by digging
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Turning his gaze down the cañon, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/
the fourth day of the week; the third working day
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
whereupon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading On Wednesday afternoon Len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading It was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the Aurora dump.
