used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading At the southern extremity the nullah was about sixty yards wide.
acacias
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
arrivingverbUS /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/
-ing form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
bendverbUS /bend/
form a curve
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
bestowalnoun
the act of conferring an honor or presenting a gift
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
the lower side of anything
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
disappearingnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrɪŋ/
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
euphorbias
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
divisible by two
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
extremitynounUS /ekˈstreməti/
an external body part that projects from the body
From this reading At the southern extremity the nullah was about sixty yards wide.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
set up or found
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
herdedverbUS /ˈhɜːrdɪd/
past form of “herd” — cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
ledgesnounUS /ˈledʒɪz/
plural of “ledge” — a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
mimosanounUS /mɪˈmoʊsə/
evergreen Australasian tree having white or silvery bark and young leaves and yellow flowers
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
Mirambo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
absolutely essential
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
not any; not one
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
nullahnoun
a ravine or gully in southern Asia
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
obstaclesnounUS /ˈɑːbstəkəlz/
plural of “obstacle” — something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
operationnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈeɪʃən/
the state of being in effect or being operative
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
patchesnounUS /ˈpætʃəz/
plural of “patch” — a small contrasting part of something
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
predominatingverbUS /prɪˈdɑːməneɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “predominate” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
one of four equal parts
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
renderingnounUS /ˈrendərɪŋ/
a performance of a musical composition or a dramatic role etc.
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
rippledadjectiveUS /ˈrɪpəld/
uneven by virtue of having wrinkles or waves
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
rockyadjectiveUS /ˈrɑːki/
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
scrubverbUS /skrʌb/
clean with hard rubbing
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
get by special effort
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
shallowadjectiveUS /ˈʃæloʊ/
lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
sixtyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪksti/
being ten more than fifty
From this reading At the southern extremity the nullah was about sixty yards wide.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading At the southern extremity the nullah was about sixty yards wide.
having a sharp inclination
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
not in physical motion
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
storesnounUS /stɔːrz/
plural of “store” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
superintending
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
supplementedverbUS /sʌpləmentɪd/
past form of “supplement” — add as a supplement to what seems insufficient
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
tangledadjectiveUS /ˈtæŋɡəld/
in a confused mass
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
thornnounUS /θɔːrn/
something that causes irritation and annoyance
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
tolerablyadverb
in an acceptable (but not outstanding) manner
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
male cat
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
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 Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
vegetationnounUS /ˌvedʒəˈteɪʃən/
all the plant life in a particular region or period
From this reading In the middle a shallow stream rippled over the rocky bottom, disappearing in places beneath tangled masses of vegetation.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Trees of many kinds grew on the steep walls, acacias and euphorbias predominating, and on both sides of the stream there were many patches of scrub, mimosa, and thorn, rendering the passage by no means easy.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading At the southern extremity the nullah was about sixty yards wide.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading On arriving at the entrance to the nullah, Tom found that Mirambo had already herded the women and children beyond the first bend, something less than a quarter of a mile away, and was superintending the bestowal of the stores still farther up, on natural ledges in the steep bank.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading But these natural obstacles must be supplemented by art if the place was to be made even tolerably secure, and Tom lost no time in putting the necessary works in operation.
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 At the southern extremity the nullah was about sixty yards wide.
