used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
abreastadjectiveUS /əˈbrest/
being up to particular standard or level especially in being up to date in knowledge
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
AndrewsnounUS /ˈændruːz/
United States naturalist who contributed to paleontology and geology (1884-1960)
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
without deviation
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
opinion or judgment
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
Fry'snounUS /fraɪz/
possessive form of “fry” — English painter and art critic (1866-1934)
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
hailverbUS /heɪl/
praise vociferously
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
hoofsnounUS /hʊfs/
plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
horse'snounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/
possessive form of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
leader'snounUS /ˈliːdərz/
possessive form of “leader” — a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
narrowedadjectiveUS /ˈneroʊd/
reduced in size as by squeezing together
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
plock-plock-plock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
pommelverbUS /ˈpɑːməl/
strike, usually with the fist
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
quickenedverbUS /ˈkwɪkənd/
past form of “quicken” — move faster
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
put a saddle on
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
express in speech
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
male cat
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The village street narrowed down to a country road, and the "plock-plock-plock" of the horse's hoofs on the mud sounded directly behind them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
waververbUS /ˈweɪvər/
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading Several times Tom glanced back to see if Andrews was watching them, but the leader's eyes seemed never to waver from the pommel of his saddle.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
We'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
we're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
at the time that
From this reading "When we get down almost to the trees, I'll hail him."
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
WilsonnounUS /ˈwɪlsən/
author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading "We'd better not speak to him until we're farther away from these houses," said Wilson.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading They quickened their pace so that Andrews would come abreast of them near the Widow Fry's.
