used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
(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 It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
any person at all
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
attractingverbUS /əˈtræktɪŋ/
-ing form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
botherverbUS /ˈbɑːðər/
take the trouble to do something; concern oneself
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
bunknounUS /bʌŋk/
a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
Colonel'snounUS /ˈkɜːrnəlz/
possessive form of “colonel” — a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
commandingadjectiveUS /kəˈmændɪŋ/
used of a height or viewpoint
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
CyrusnounUS /ˈsaɪrəs/
Persian prince who was defeated in battle by his brother Artaxerxes II (424-401 BC)
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
accept an excuse for
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
an informal term for a youth or man
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
conformity or harmony
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
immediately past
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
logsnounUS /lɔːɡz/
plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
and nothing more
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
muslinnounUS /ˈmʌzlən/
plain-woven cotton fabric
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
not any; not one
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
officer'snounUS /ˈɔːfɪsərz/
possessive form of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
OrderlynounUS /ˈɔːrdərli/
a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
out-buildings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
pacedverbUS /peɪst/
past form of “pace” — walk with slow or fast paces
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
palisadesnounUS /ˌpælɪˈseɪdz/
plural of “palisade” — fortification consisting of a strong fence made of stakes driven into the ground
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
pretensenounUS /priˈtens/
the act of giving a false appearance
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
housing available for people to live in
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
relieve from
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
SIOUXnounUS /suː/
a member of a group of North American Indian peoples who spoke a Siouan language and who ranged from Lake Michigan to the Rocky Mountains
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
make steady
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
in or at that place or location
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
trampnounUS /træmp/
a vagrant
From this reading He listened, but could hear nothing but the steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
at the time that
From this reading When Guy went out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five minutes.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
winkverbUS /wɪŋk/
signal by winking
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It really was not a window at all, but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so as to admit the light.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows of the commanding officer's room.
