used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
anew
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
(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 But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
for the reason that
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading They spread out their blankets and threw themselves down, panting, bruised, and outwearied.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
lacking funds
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
bruisedverbUS /bruːzd/
past form of “bruise” — injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of
From this reading They spread out their blankets and threw themselves down, panting, bruised, and outwearied.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
cheesenounUS /tʃiːz/
a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
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 They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They spread out their blankets and threw themselves down, panting, bruised, and outwearied.
eagle-bones
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
at any time
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
start firing a weapon
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
frozenadjectiveUS /ˈfroʊzən/
turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
for more time
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
lumpsnounUS /lʌmps/
plural of “lump” — a compact mass
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
mountain-side
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
nibbledverbUS /ˈnɪbəld/
past form of “nibble” — bite off very small pieces
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
not any; not one
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
Obobbomans
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
outwearied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They spread out their blankets and threw themselves down, panting, bruised, and outwearied.
pantingnounUS /ˈpæntɪŋ/
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading They spread out their blankets and threw themselves down, panting, bruised, and outwearied.
go across or through
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
pesteredadjectiveUS /ˈpestərd/
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
skin-bags
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading They spread out their blankets and threw themselves down, panting, bruised, and outwearied.
steepernounUS /ˈstiːpər/
a vessel (usually a pot or vat) used for steeping
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading They spread out their blankets and threw themselves down, panting, bruised, and outwearied.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading They spread out their blankets and threw themselves down, panting, bruised, and outwearied.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
the upper part of anything
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
travellersnounUS /ˈtrævələrz/
plural of “traveller” — a person who changes location
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
tuggedverbUS /tʌɡd/
inflected form of “tug” — pull hard
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading They nibbled at their blue cheese and a few cold eagle-bones, and, having cut one of their skin-bags to pieces, broke up the frozen milk and shared the lumps between them.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And near about sunset they had tugged their way to the top, and came out again upon the mountain-side.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The pass grew ever steeper, but now that the travellers were no longer pestered by the Obobbomans they managed to struggle slowly on.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
but in spite of that
From this reading But they made no fire here yet, because their wood was running short, and all that they had would be needed against the small hours of the night.
