used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
accessnounUS /ˈækses/
the right to enter
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
bordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/
a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
encouragedadjectiveUS /enˈkɜːrɪdʒd/
inspired with confidence
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
farenounUS /fer/
an agenda of things to do
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
and nothing more
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
the act of departing
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
Let's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
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 They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
any art that invokes supernatural powers
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
outlinedadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnd/
showing clearly the outline or profile or boundary
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
refreshedadjectiveUS /riˈfreʃt/
with restored energy
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
scanverbUS /skæn/
examine minutely or intensely
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
southwardadverbUS /ˈsaʊθwərd/
toward the south
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
SwissnounUS /swɪs/
the natives or inhabitants of Switzerland
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
male cat
From this reading Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
Tom'snounUS /tɑːmz/
possessive form of “tom” — male cat
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
toymaker
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
trampedverbUS /træmpt/
past form of “tramp” — travel on foot, especially on a walking expedition
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
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 Tom fancied he could just distinguish the dark trees outlined on the opposite shore.
unpeopledadjective
with no people living there
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Let's follow the shore a ways and see if we can get round it," he said.
(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 Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading They were so refreshed and encouraged as they tramped through the deep, unpeopled wilderness which they knew must bring them to the border, and so eager to bring their long journey to an end, that they kept on for a while in the darkness until, to their great surprise, they came upon a sheet of water the bank of which extended as far east and west as they could see.
which person or people
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
(politics) a state of disfavor
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
in the company of; together with
From this reading MAGIC Leaving the home of the Swiss toymaker, who had shared his simple fare with them, they started southward through the deep wilderness.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Tom's idea was to keep well within the forest, but within access to its western edge, so that they might scan the country across the river at intervals.
