used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
the state of being absent
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
alteredadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərd/
changed in form or character without becoming something else
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
a distinct feature or element in a problem
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
completely unclothed
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
Crabbe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
croppedadjectiveUS /krɑːpt/
(of land or soil) used for growing crops
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
deficiencynounUS /dɪˈfɪʃənsi/
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
apart from; not including
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
fednounUS /fed/
any federal law-enforcement officer
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
a boy or man
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
fire-stick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
flatsnounUS /flæts/
footwear (shoes or slippers) with no heel (or a very low heel)
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
usually; as a rule
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
governednounUS /ˈɡʌvərnd/
the body of people who are citizens of a particular government
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
to a considerable degree
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
herbagenoun
succulent herbaceous vegetation of pasture land
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
horse'snounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/
possessive form of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
inconsiderableadjective
too small or unimportant to merit attention
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
a small worthless amount
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
in the recent past
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
lushadjectiveUS /lʌʃ/
produced or growing in extreme abundance
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
mentioningverbUS /ˈmenʃənɪŋ/
-ing form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
moisturenounUS /ˈmɔɪstʃər/
wetness caused by water
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
a form of address for a man
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
NabverbUS /næb/
tag the base runner to get him out
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
not any; not one
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
parchedadjectiveUS /pɑːrtʃt/
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
quantitynounUS /ˈkwɑːntəti/
how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
on the contrary
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
resistlessadjective
impossible to resist; overpowering
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
shockedadjectiveUS /ʃɑːkt/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
not in physical motion
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
swish-swashing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been no rain, except in inconsiderable quantity, during his absence, and the herbage generally showed signs of a deficiency of moisture.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
precisely as stated
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Then we have had a great number of travelling sheep through lately, and they have fed their mile pretty bare.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading On mentioning this to Mr. M‘Nab, he said— “Well, the fact is that the grass got very dry, and some fellow put a fire-stick into it.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
at the time that
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
in or at the place that
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “But he still governed with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command.”—_Crabbe._ When Jack got back he was rather shocked at the altered aspect of the run.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The river flats, which were so lush and heavily cropped with green herbage that your horse’s feet made a “swish-swashing” noise as you rode through it, now were very parched up, dry, and bare, or else burned off altogether.
