used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE PALM Ned awoke about noon.
adobenounUS /əˈdoʊbi/
the clay from which adobe bricks are made
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
(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 The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading THE PALM Ned awoke about noon.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
cactusnounUS /ˈkæktəs/
any succulent plant of the family Cactaceae native chiefly to arid regions of the New World and usually having spines
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
ColumnsnounUS /ˈkɑːləmz/
plural of “column” — a line of units following one after another
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading He saw in the valley nearest him the flat roofs of a small village.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
any creature of exceptional size
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
in order that something should not happen
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
mellowadjectiveUS /ˈmeloʊ/
unhurried and relaxed
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
the force of workers available
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading He saw in the valley nearest him the flat roofs of a small village.
Ned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PALM Ned awoke about noon.
the middle of the day
From this reading THE PALM Ned awoke about noon.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He saw in the valley nearest him the flat roofs of a small village.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
PALMnounUS /pɑːm/
the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading THE PALM Ned awoke about noon.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
roofsnounUS /ruːfs/
plural of “roof” — a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading He saw in the valley nearest him the flat roofs of a small village.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
cut with a saw
From this reading He saw in the valley nearest him the flat roofs of a small village.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
serapenoun
a long brightly colored shawl; worn mainly by Mexican men
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He saw in the valley nearest him the flat roofs of a small village.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
snugadjectiveUS /snʌɡ/
offering safety; well protected or concealed
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
spikesnounUS /spaɪks/
plural of “spike” — a transient variation in voltage or current
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
stemsnounUS /stemz/
plural of “stem” — (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PALM Ned awoke about noon.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
thornsnounUS /θɔːrnz/
plural of “thorn” — something that causes irritation and annoyance
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading He saw in the valley nearest him the flat roofs of a small village.
valleysnounUS /ˈvæliz/
plural of “valley” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
precisely as stated
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading He saw in the valley nearest him the flat roofs of a small village.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Columns of smoke rose from two or three of the adobe houses, and he heard the faint, mellow voices of men singing in a field.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading He rose very cautiously, lest the spikes and thorns should get him, and then went to a comparatively open place among the giant cactus stems whence he could see over the hills and valleys.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading The morning had been cold, but having been wrapped very thoroughly in the great serape, he had remained snug and warm all through his long sleep.
