used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
(sentence connectors) because of the reason given
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
(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 All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
canvasnounUS /ˈkænvəs/
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
capas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
clothing in general
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
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 All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
depthnounUS /depθ/
the extent downward or backward or inward
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
EarlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
etc
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
with resolute determination
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
hailverbUS /heɪl/
praise vociferously
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
high-lying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
matchesnounUS /ˈmætʃəz/
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
nakedadjectiveUS /ˈneɪkəd/
completely unclothed
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
something you have to do
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
preparationsnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
with speed
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
revolversnounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvərz/
plural of “revolver” — a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
put a saddle on
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
not often
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
slackadjectiveUS /slæk/
not tense or taut
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
strappedverbUS /stræpt/
inflected form of “strap” — tie with a strap
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
tractnounUS /trækt/
an extended area of land
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
varyingadjectiveUS /ˈveriɪŋ/
marked by diversity or difference
From this reading To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Near the river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there accordingly we made our preparations.
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 To get to its banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Early the next morning we were up and off to the river.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading All this was done as quickly as possible, for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We took off our clothes, and placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the saddle of one of the horses.
