Chapter IX · Chapter 9

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

later than; following

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "What has been going on here lately?" asked Courthorne.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

next to; at the side of

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

marked by strong resentment or cynicism

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

past form of “blink” — briefly shut the eyes

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

in mental comfort; without stress

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

without comfort

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

third-person singular of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

in a drowsy manner

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

earlier in time; previously

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

a card game in which players bet against the dealer on the cards he will draw from a dealing box

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

highly enthusiastic

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

the act of departing

From this reading "What has been going on here lately?" asked Courthorne.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "What has been going on here lately?" asked Courthorne.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "What has been going on here lately?" asked Courthorne.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

immediately past

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

in the recent past

From this reading "What has been going on here lately?" asked Courthorne.

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

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 He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

a state in northwestern United States on the Canadian border

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "What has been going on here lately?" asked Courthorne.

being directly across from each other; facing

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

a person who owns or operates a ranch

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

to a small degree or extent

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

a kitchen appliance used for cooking food

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

in or at that place or location

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What has been going on here lately?" asked Courthorne.

at the time that

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

in or at the place that

From this reading He had a good many acquaintances in the straggling town, where he now and then ran a faro game, though it was some months since he had last been there, and he had ridden a long way to reach it that day.

which person or people

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.

made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood

From this reading COURTHORNE DISAPPEARS Supper was cooking when Lance Courthorne sat beside the glowing stove in the comfortless general room of a little wooden hotel in a desolate settlement of Montana.

a late time of life

From this reading The latter, who had come out some years earlier from the old country, was then reading a somewhat ancient English newspaper.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading He was feeling comfortably tired after the exposure to the bitter frost, and blinked drowsily at the young rancher who sat opposite him across the stove.