alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
avoidingverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading But there was no avoiding the risk.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
uttered without voice
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But there was no avoiding the risk.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
checkedadjectiveUS /tʃekt/
patterned with alternating squares of color
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
dreadedadjectiveUS /ˈdredɪd/
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
in a free manner
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
ten 10s
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
marginnounUS /ˈmɑːrdʒən/
the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
MISSINGadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsɪŋ/
not able to be found
From this reading MISSING.
not any; not one
From this reading But there was no avoiding the risk.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
peeringverbUS /ˈpiːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
ponynounUS /ˈpoʊniː/
a range horse of the western United States
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
prairienounUS /ˈpreri/
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
progressedverbUS /prəˈɡrest/
past form of “progress” — develop in a positive way
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
ranchernounUS /ˈræntʃər/
a person who owns or operates a ranch
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading But there was no avoiding the risk.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But there was no avoiding the risk.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But there was no avoiding the risk.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Then he checked his pony, and those behind him did the same.
threadedadjectiveUS /ˈθredɪd/
(of bolts or screws) having screw threads
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
unspeakableadjectiveUS /ənˈspiːkəbəl/
defying expression or description
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But there was no avoiding the risk.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading In silence the little party threaded their way along the margin of the prairie, listening for the sounds they dreaded to hear, and peering through the gloom for the forms they held in unspeakable fear.
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 Not until they had progressed several hundred yards can it be said that the rancher breathed freely.
