used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
barnsnounUS /bɑːrnz/
plural of “barn” — an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
bunknounUS /bʌŋk/
a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading But the bunk house was now deserted, the engine silent.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the bunk house was now deserted, the engine silent.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading But the bunk house was now deserted, the engine silent.
donkeynounUS /ˈdɑːŋki/
the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
formerlyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrmərli/
at a previous time
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
the act of departing
From this reading No work was going on in the shaft.
gulchnounUS /ɡʌltʃ/
a narrow gorge with a stream running through it
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading But the bunk house was now deserted, the engine silent.
HowesnounUS /haʊz/
plural of “howe” — United States editor (1920-1993)
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
MexicannounUS /ˈmeksəkən/
a native or inhabitant of Mexico
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
MINERSnounUS /ˈmaɪnərz/
plural of “miner” — laborer who works in a mine
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
miningnounUS /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/
the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
not any; not one
From this reading No work was going on in the shaft.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But the bunk house was now deserted, the engine silent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
PopverbUS /pɑːp/
bulge outward
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
shacknounUS /ʃæk/
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading No work was going on in the shaft.
sheeradjectiveUS /ʃɪr/
complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading But the bunk house was now deserted, the engine silent.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
three-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
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 THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.
in or at the place that
From this reading THE MINERS' MEETING Pop Howes' mine, the American Beauty, was about a mile from town on the south side of the mining gulch where the walls became sheer and closed in.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading At the foot of the slope he had built a small three-room shack where he and his wife lived.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading No work was going on in the shaft.
workersnounUS /ˈwɜːrkərz/
plural of “worker” — a person who works at a specific occupation
From this reading Back of this were the barns, a donkey engine, and a narrow building where his Mexican workers formerly ate and slept.